Man After God

Man After God David the Shepherd King Copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo, ON, 2019

Fugitive (first samuel)

Alone in these rocks

And the hot sun o'erhead

And a band on the run

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That the Powers want dead

Just a stone at Goliath

And big crowds praised my name

But the same God of rescue

Did the lion and bear tame

I have none of the means

To resist wicked darts

But a leaning on His arm

Takes us through thorny parts

And I sing with my lyre

And He smiles at my praise

And the clouds bring their rainfall

And the plants food for days.

Just an outcast with fresh air

And the hope of a rout

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And a new chance for justice

As the prophet laid out

Tis a word that I'm holding

And a promise of old

And the comfort it renders

Much more thrilling than gold.

Spiritual Thirst

(Taken from the ​Treasury of David​ by Charles Spurgeon and commentary on Psalm 42)

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Verse 1:

As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.​ As after a long drought the poor fainting hind longs for the streams, or rather as the hunted hart instinctively seeks after the river to lave its smoking flanks and to escape the dogs, even so my weary, persecuted soul pants after the Lord my God. Debarred from public worship, David was heartsick. Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgent need of his soul; he viewed it not merely as the sweetest of all luxuries, but as an absolute necessity, like water to a stag.

Like the parched traveler in the wilderness, whose skin bottle is empty, and who finds the wells dry, he must drink or die -- he must have his God or faint. His soul, his very self, his deepest life, was insatiable for a sense of the divine presence. As the hart brays so his soul prays. Give him his God and he is as content as the poor deer which at length slakes its thirst and is perfectly happy; but deny him his Lord, and his heart heaves, his bosom palpitates, his whole frame is convulsed, like one who gasps for breath, or pants with long running. Dear reader, dost thou know what this is, by personally having felt the same? It is a sweet bitterness. The next best thing to living in the light of the Lord's love is to be unhappy till we have it, and to pant hourly after it -- hourly, did I say? thirst is a perpetual appetite, and not to be forgotten, and even thus continual is the heart's longing after God. When it is as natural for us to long for God as for an animal to thirst, it is well with our souls, however painful our feelings. We may learn from this verse that the eagerness of our desires may be pleaded with God, and the more so, because there are special promises for the importunate and fervent.

Gnashing at Goodness

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Jonathan Considers Spirit of Anti-Christ

I don’t understand My Father is King Many great accomplishments Huge army Presently much ahead Of the Philistines.

And David helped In all of this Oh how he helped.

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Young shepherd hero With lusty tales of the wilderness The lion and the bear.

And then there was Goliath Not even a moment’s pause And the enemy Of the children of Abraham Lay lifeless and headless.

But Father can say nothing good now His eyes flare out At the mention of the Son of Jesse.

He sends troops out to Apprehend him Like a wild, wandering bird.

When I try to calm the waters He lashes out at me.

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Even today In the banqueting hall Just a few words And he launched his spear As if to kill me.

I am baffled, shamed and heart-sick.

Saul resists simple honesty Reverence, Brotherhood and courage.

Has almost forgotten David’s soothing songs.

Lives in the darkness of jealousy And the occult.

Nevertheless what I have seen And felt in David Will never change or waiver.

I am dedicated

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By my own life’s blood And I love this noble friend.

So help me God.

Gutsy Prayer

"Pastor, teach us to pray." The two young couples approached Eugene Peterson in absolute earnest. They felt that their prayers were awkward, insincere, imitative, short and ineffectual.​"Why don't you take a good look at the Psalms. King David was a man who knew how to pray. He covered most of the situations which you will face. Study his approach."

Weeks passed and the Pastor heard no more, but then a somewhat apologetic knock at the door of his study. "It doesn't seem to be helping, sir. The King James language seems so archaic and foreign. We cannot get at the heart of David through it all."

'Well friends, said Peterson, 'that is unfortunate because those prayers were really quite visceral, frank, elemental and unrestrained. If David were ticked off he let God know. If desperate he hollered out for help. If joyful, the very heart-strings sang. Perhaps I might attempt a paraphrase of a couple of them to break the ice for you.'

Thus began the much celebrated paraphrase of the entire Bible which we now recognize as "The Message".

Those young couples discovered a prayer life which was spontaneous, honest, unvarnished and delightfully personal. They were coming closer to God's heart. Hearing

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from Him. Pleading in ways consistent with His will. Becoming angry where He was angry. Chuckling at the things that humoured Him. Delighting over His victories.

It took for them the vernacular and street-wise which Peterson had incorporated into his texts.

(Eugene Peterson went to be with his Lord in late 2018)

At a time of personal crisis, and not too long ago, I found myself examining Peterson's text and walking dark streets, yelling out at God in very direct terms about the need. He was not offended. He visited me. He settled me. He gave me fresh courage.

The answers came later‌

Such a Dead Dog as I Am David and Jonathan were brothers in a blood covenant, each to bless the heirs of the other to the best of his ability. When Jonathan was killed in battle the nurse-maid of his son Mephibosheth hurried the child out of the camp. She was terrified that David would

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slay any descendant of King Saul. In her haste she dropped the child and he was rendered a cripple. His name meant "destroying shame".

Several years later, David as king was eager to determine whether any heir of Jonathan remained alive. He was compelled by the force of his covenant and by compassion for the memory of his dead friend. He heard the story of the crippled youth and went with an entourage to find him.

As the band approached Mephibosheth's residence he cowered in fear, expecting the worst. In the intervening years he had often contemplated how the King would hold him in contempt. Disfigured. Disinherited. Dishonoured.

How shocked he was to discover that David only wanted to bless him and to involve him in the royal household and estate. Hear the exchange in ​2 Samuel 9: 6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!

7 And David said unto him, Fear not: for I will surely shew thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually.

8 And he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?

9 Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

10 Thou therefore, and thy sons, and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat: but Mephibosheth

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thy master's son shall eat bread alway at my table. Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

Mephibosheth did not understand the intensity of the covenant which his father had cut with King David. He had no conception of his real standing or entitlement. His self-estimate was pathetic.

Do we not find ourselves in the same position? God has bound Himself by covenant with Jesus, sealed with the blood of Calvary to bless all of the Body of Christ with the best that he has, and forever. Neither are we "dead dogs" but rather joint heirs with Christ. Stand tall! Rejoice! Come to the table.

Month of Psalms‌Month of Themes

(Psalm 44) Please (118) Thanks (107) Help (8) Wonderful (103) Merciful (104) Creation (22) Messiah (51) Forgive (85) Revive (40) Rescue (23) Satisfaction (19) Thy Word (72) Justice (41) Vindication (128) Reward (48) Zion (116) Salvation (98) Rejoice (71) Accompany (103) Healing (18) Victory (100) Sing (37) Meekness (96) Evangelize

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(34) Trust (91) Protection (78) History (66) Worship (52) The Wicked (89) David’s Heritage (31) Sanctuary (Image by Jordan Blair, Paris) (Remember as you go through the 31 days of meditation that this is some of the substance of the Bible that Jesus cherished.)

Faithful Little “Dog”

I’ll not be shaken off, not I

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My daughter writhes at home And I have heard Your healing power The greatest ever known Disciples bar me from your touch No Jewish blood to show But Son of David Lord of life I will not let you go.

A hopeful “dog” That’s what you said The household pet I’m sure And crumbs that fall From sacred feast Will more than prove the cure.

So come now Jesus

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Speak the word And healing now translate And end this Mother’s heaviness My daughter’s sorry state.

Complete Brokenness Sees Clearly

“Thou art the man!”

The prophet Nathan had seen through King David’s charade with the illegitimate child by Bathsheba. A year had gone by since the unfortunate death of her husband and the hasty marriage to the King.

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The prophet had told a little parable to catch David in his own wrongdoing and the King fell hard. His words of repentance are recorded in the 51st Psalm. Truly it is a prototype for clearing the slate with God. Four very incisive concepts stand out in this prayer:

1. Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight. W ​ e are not talking about the comparative righteousness of mortals here which might be traded off as one offends the other. We are talking about transgressing the absolute holiness of God. Any single sin brings condemnation. Let us not presume to prioritize them. Sin bars access and fellowship. The king could sense that his stumbling would adversely affect his entire family and nation.

2. Create in me a clean heart. T ​ his is foreshadowing the new birth. Reformation will not hit the mark; neither will the best of intentions. God must intervene with a supernatural deposit. He will do so for the sincere asking.

3. A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. G ​ od specializes in broken things; things that will no longer function on their own. In helplessness and desperation the penitent cries out, and God undergirds with arms of mercy and rescue. A resolute “flushing” has occured, and it is time for new fellowship and service.

4. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering. ​As we are reminded in Romans 8, it is impossible for good deeds generated out of the fleshly nature to please the Heavenly Father. But with this process of spiritual bankruptcy and restoration there comes a righteousness which is God’s alone. He is bound to be pleased with efforts of love and devotion sourced in Himself.

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David in his total brokenness saw and prophesied all of this. In Acts 11 the Early Church referred to the process as “repentance unto life�.

Song For the Meek

Beautifies the meek, yes He does this oh so well

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Dismisses doubters’ ranklings And all their hate dispels A grace that marches calmly Through “everyday’s” demands And hugs and uplifts Tenderly With carpenter’s strong hands.

He speaks a view celestial A home for all oppressed Where all who hold on bravely Find comfort, kin and rest.

His victories challenge reason Not brought by might or blade Convicting simple goodness The way new saints are made.

And oh to journey like him

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With thoughts of righteous worth And deeds to draw times closer When meek shall rule the earth. ​(Psalm 37)

Bastions

Even if having only

One stalwart friend

Presenting male valour

And assertiveness

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Yet willing to weep

For right causes

For sin

And for me

I grasp unfalteringly

And embrace such riches

Never once expected

Or coming from wildest

Imagination.

It is Lewis and Clark

Lone Ranger and Tonto

M’Cheyne and Bonar

Wilberforce and Pitt

Livingstone and Stanley

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David and Jonathan

Paul and Timothy

Abbot and Costello

Christ and Holy Spirit.

And I sit back from keyboard

And give wet thanks

To the Giver of all good.

Pavilioned in Splendour

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He made darkness his secret place; his ​pavilion​ round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. ​(Psalm 18: 11) For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his ​pavilion​: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. ​(Psalm 27: 5) Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a ​pavilion​ from the strife of tongues. ​(Psalm 31: 20)

My thoughts turned to the phrase while listening this morning to that wonderful hymn ​“Oh Worship the King”. ​Imagine our God holding a special station in some marvelous pavilion of mystery, power, other-worldliness, constancy and protection.

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David the shepherd-poet thinks of the wolf, the bear, the heat, the night chills, the drenching storm, the dryness, the thirst of the Judean wilderness. Or perhaps at other times of the machinations of ambitious men who seek his hurt.

Then thoughts turn in beautiful imagination to that pavilion and to that remarkable caretaker and champion, his God and Friend.

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