Wilderness Wanderings

"O Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent. Do not be far from me, Lord. Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord. Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God" (Psalm 35:22-24) . Once again David is in trouble. It seems like his life is nothing but trouble. Many of his Psalms are requests for liberation. And David thinks God tends to be slow in responding to his pleas....

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. Fear the Lord, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. Psalm 34:8-10 David wrote this psalm as a song of praise for the way God delivered him from a life-threatening encounter. David could have focused on the pain of...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Romans 6:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca DIVE...

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. For... (Psalm 33:1, 4a) The opening part of the worship services in many Christian congregations include "a call to worship". Most often this is a passage of scripture like the beginning of Psalm 33. These verses are like invitations that cannot be declined. They call us to worship God and they give us reasons w...

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. ( Selah) Fi...

Give praise to the Lord. He showed me his wonderful love when my enemies attacked the city I was in. I was afraid and said, "I've been cut off from you!" But you heard my cry for your favor. You heard me when I called out to you for help (Psalm 31:22-23). "All prayer is prayed in a story, by someone who is in the story...Spiritualized prayer is denatured prayer, prayer in which all the dirt and no...

To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: "What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help." You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise yo...

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name, worship the Lord in the splendour of his holiness…The Lord on his throne rules over the flood. The Lord rules from his throne as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people. The Lord blesses his people with peace (Psalm 29:1,10-11). Do you know the story of the dad trying to get a kiss from his daughter? "Honey," he said, "come give Daddy a hug."...

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Eccleciastes 3:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca...

To you, Lord , I call; you are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who go down to the pit. … The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one. Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever. (Psalm 28:1,8-9)   One of the most difficult realities of the Christian life is the...

"One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (Psalm 27:4). Here's a story I've told before on Wilderness Wanderings. One day while Stuart Sacks was serving as a Christian Missionary in Paraguay, a Maka Indian named Rafael came to sit on his porch. Stuart went...

Vindicate me, Lord, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered. Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. (Psalm 26:1-3)   This Psalm—like any number of others—gives us pause.  Who of us would dare say such a thing to God?  But while it might...

In you, Lord my God, I put my trust…Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths (Psalm 25:1,4). The psalms of the Old Testament are the church's prayer book. This doesn't mean that these are the only prayers or songs we offer, but that we allow them to be our prayer teachers. They will teach us how to pray the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father who is in heaven..." Many psalms come out of the depths of b...

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god. They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior....

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is Romans 6:1-14 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanuelministries.ca Dive...

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my he...

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. (Psalm 22:1-2) I will declare your name to my people; in the assembly I will praise you. You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For...

"The king rejoices in your strength, Lord. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart, and not withheld the request of his lips" (Psalm 21:1, 2). Psalm 21 is a song of victory. It is not difficult to imagine the people of Israel singing these words as David returned victorious from battle. The day is perfect for Israel: king and people are followin...

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7)   We are always and everywhere tempted to believe that salvation comes by our own accomplishment.  By the work of our hands we establish ourselves and provide for ourselves and our families.  By our own firm stands we defend ourselves, our family, and our institutions.  And, there's something to t...

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and My Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14). Like me, many of you have likely heard this verse prayed during a worship service. Preachers will pray it just before they begin their sermon. It is a good practice; I've done it many times myself. We preachers will also pray such a prayer when we are in our studies...

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings!  The text is 1 Corinthians 3:18-4:16 from the New International Version of the Bible.  Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it  here on YouTube .  Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC:  immanue...

"I love you, O Lord, my strength" (Psalm 18:1). This opening phrase of Psalm 18 may suggest to us that this will be a nice, gentle psalm. It is anything but. It is filled with bold colours, powerful metaphors, haunting images, and violent movements. John Calvin wrote that the creation is the "theatre of God's glory." It may have been this psalm which inspired that phrase. David, having spent his l...

Hear me, Lord, my plea is just; listen to my cry. Hear my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips. Let my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right. As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness. (Psalm 17:1-2,15)   These are the first and last verses of the Psalm.  They recognize that though we might seek t...

"I said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing'" (Psalm 16:2). Helena and I choose Psalm 16 as our wedding text and Rev. De Bolster, then president of Redeemer College, preached from it during our marriage ceremony. I admit that I don't remember what he said. I do remember that it was a very hot July afternoon. Regardless, it was a good choice. The psalm invites us to l...

Lord , who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart; whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others; who despises a vile person but honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their m...