Continuing in the Psalm series this one deals with our fears.
King David is in one of the lowest points of his life so far. In 1 Samuel 21:10-15 he goes to his enemies, the Philistines, for help, and has to pretend he is a madman to escape.

At this point David is alone. Notice the sequence:
1. Troubles “many fears” [v. 4] and “troubles” [v.6]
2. Prayer “I sought the Lord” [v.4] “I called upon him”[ 6]
3. Deliverance “heard me and save me out of all my troubles:” Lord answered me; he delivered me “out
of my “troubles.”

Important point: David circumstances did not immediately change. He was still a fugitive, in danger and alone, But he was preserved for the future work he was to do and people began to gather to help.

So God may not change your situation but He will transform them by his presence and peace.

Added note 7/18 look up on the internet “Fear of God Test” by Lucy Moll.

This encouraging Psalm phrase is on my tombstone It is a favorite song my first wife who would sing and I often use it for comfort when under stress.
There is another part of this Psalm that deals with rejection in verse 10.”Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” I have to deal with clients who have been rejected as a counselor often.

I am reading through the commentary by James Montgomery Boice on Psalms and on page 242-3 he points out the many sides of rejection. He has some phrases to keep in mind: We all seek acceptance, we all seek to be heard, we all seek guidance and finally we all seek protection. All may forsake you but David says “I am confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” [v. 13] and we need to “wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.”[v.14]

David also dealt with rejections in Psalms 52, 54, and 55.

For counseling homework; I would suggest that  you to read Psalm 54. Also look up the background for the historical  passages [1 Samuel 22-23] so you can see  how these painful rejections caused him. Especially in 2 Samuel 15-17 when his trust counselor, Ahithophel,  betrayed him in favor of his son Absalom.

There is an excellent section on Rejection by Charles Stanley in his book Emotions.

Take heart, my friend, God will not forsake us ever!!!!

This will be a work in  progress.  After having completed in the past 14 months Spurgeons’ Sermons [10 volumes,246 sermons and 4279 pages],I am taking a completely different tract for the remaining months of this year.

I have decided to concentrate on the book of Psalms. This approach for me is unique in that I am looking for topics and how they are dealt with in each Psalm to help hurting hearts that I counsel each week in my Biblically Centered Counseling practice.

Back in my student days 30 years ago, when I was 50 and  working on my D Min, I had chosen as my writing project “Help for Hungry Hearts: A Biblical counseling view of Psalm 119.” It is now interesting to spend a year searching out in many the Psalms as I did in my project dealing with words and concepts to find help for hurting hearts to give them homework.

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As I move through the Psalms. I will from time to time share on this blog what the Lord has blessed me personally and what led me to pass on to clients.

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The first resource that I have found helpful when interpreting the poetry in the Psalms is  an article in the Journal of Biblical Counseling Spring. 2002 by Ken Langley “Genre-Sensitive Use of the Psalms in Counseling.”  pp 38-45. No book of the Bible illuminates our emotions as dramatically or clearly as the Psalms. Emotions like love, hatred, desire, joy, delight, grief, sorrow, fear and hope. A must read for understanding how to counsel from the Psalms.

Psalm One &; Two:

Biblical Meditation and Biblical Counseling by Kyle Johnston is recorded in the Biblical Counseling Coalition February 5, 2013 blog. I highly recommend you read it.

These two introductory Psalms 1 and 2 were not written by David and deal with meditation.

My process will be that in each of the Psalms my counseling suggestions will highlight three ideas: Hope offered, Change suggested,and Homework Assigned.

Under hope: remember that concentrated meditation on the Bible is far superior to transcendental mediation because Hope is based on God’s solid promises.

Under Change: Persons who are depressed or even suicidal have lost all hope. They need to see the possibility of change God can bring to that person.

Homework Assigned: notice how the Psalmist handled the difficult circumstances by applying the Word to the situation. So next time you are temped to despair turn to the Word and meditate on Psalms One and Two. I also recommend that you memorize Psalm 1 as I have done and I do repeat it often.

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Psalm 15

This Psalm lends itself to helping hurting hearts by showing us what is a person after God’s own heart is like. There are six couplets to examine to show the type of person God approves: Study each and see if you are like this person described in verses 2-5.
Assignment: Take each item below and ask/answer how the item offers hope, or what change to you is suggested, and therefore what homework would you give yourself?

His character…
His speech…
His conduct…
His values…
His integrity…
His use of Money…

I have just finished reading Tim’s book Walking with God through Pain and Suffering

It is a very important book for any pastor or counselor who deals with hurting people,
In the 353 pages [2013] he deals with different dimensions to approach suffering. As Vertical Living Ministries states the book “tackling the internals and external realities and takes us deep theologically and practically.”
There are three parts in facing the furnace [troubles of life]
One: covers understanding cultures of, victory of, challenges to the secular and the problem of evil.
Two: helps us to face our faith sovereignty of God His suffering the reasons for suffering learning to walk and the varieties of “Furnace”
Three: deals with our future of walking with God, weeping, trusting, praying, thinking and hoping.
A must read!!!!!!!

He states that it covers 10 practices to uncluttered your soul. The chapter topics are: like your energy reserves, calendar, finances, work, forgiveness, fears, relationships, God’s call, new seasons of your life and your legacy.
The appendix has a special section on the importance of choosing a life verse.
The book also has a free streaming video.

This book explores how God shapes us through the events of our lives.
I recommend the book and especially the Appendix: 25 Key questions. In These focus on the existential side of how he Christian faith deals with three common struggles.

There are several reasons why I have not posted for a some months.
#1 The physical problems of my oldest son and the transplanting of a new heart and his recovery.
#2 My own discovery of some health issues including a silent heart attack.
#3 The physical problems of our 17-year-old grand son, his anaphylactic shock and his recovery.
#4 The calling up of my 40-year-old son to Iraq now recently home and ok.
Thanks to the many churches and friends who have held them up and prayer.
#5 Several trips taken for connect with the above family needs.

What I decided to do list my reading with a brief comment on each.

First, I am reading thru the 10 volumes of Spurgeon’s sermons. I am now in Volume 5 and have found the sermons apart from his old English very
inspiring and spiritually helpful.
Second. What Did God Say? by Garner, Editor, [An excellent study on inerrancy.]
Third, Stealing From God by Turek, [That deals quite well with atheistic arguments.]
Fourth, Resolved-13 Resolutions for Life by Orrin Woodward. [Very helpful using many successful men in history and business.]
Fifth, Act Like Men, by James MacDonald, [This is a great study for men on biblical manhood.]
Sixth, Side by Side by Ed Welch, [A very unusual book that is a call to friendship by walking with others on wisdom and love with examples.]
Seventh, America 2020 by Porter Stansberry [ It offers advice as a survival blueprint to a possible currency crisis.]

This book by Robert B. Somerville has a sub title {Finding meaning and hope in the Dark Valley of One Man’s Journey]

This new book published by Xulon Press in  2014 comes highly recommended by biblical counselors and authors,
like Joni Eareckson Tada, Edward Welch faculty of CCEF, and Elyse Fitzpatrick.

I believe it is the best book on depression that I have read. I like the format: each chapter begins with a Valley of Vision Puritan poem, then the chapter topic; and then followed with a case study from a real person dealing with different aspects of depression.

It also has seven appendix pages at the end 217-238 with very valuable and practical helps. I especially like:
#3 Praying the Psalms of Lament; #4 Hymns for the Soul in Depression; #6 An Annotated Bibliography; and #7 Resources for Biblical Counseling help.

There have been at least three books that have taken longer to read and this one on Bonhoeffer by Metaxas is one.
I have just finished this 542 page book.

Back in December of 2011 I finished

Sacred fire

by Lillback 724 pages.

Way back in 1990 I finished the three volumes on

The Christian Complete Armour

by Grunall over 1000 pages.

All have been an effort to finished and all have resulted in a different kind of blessing

Bonhoeffer

Shows the life of a martyr against the Nazi Germany under Hitler. He lived under the tyranny with grace and spent time writing etc much Like the Apostle Paul.

Sacred Fire

is about George Washington and reveals how blessed we were to have a believer as our first president. The book shows that many rewriters of history tried to make him a Deist were wrong. One of the features of the book is the great research of original documentation covered at the end in 440 pages.

One other longer[568 pages] book from the past[1/05] that has had a profound effect on my prayer life is

E.M. Bounds on Prayer

Since reading it I have got up earlier in the morning around 5:30am to read the Bible and pray. I have also made it a practice to pray for my current counseling clients every morning. deeper

The Christian in Complete Armour

by the Puritan of the 1600’s William Grurnall, This three-volume set of 1025 pages influenced me greatly so that I put my armor of every morning based on Ephesians 6.

I am still doing this every morning in 2015! 

.Over the past year I have been putting my armor on early each morning.[See the revised page as of 2/19/15  Putting on Your Armor on Quickly].  Last year I was asked to preach at two churches and I decided because of my counseling clients as well as my own need to preach on Personal Peace [the  complete sermon is available on request].  Then an interesting thing happened I noticed that the shoes of peace fit with the sermon on peace.
After that discovery I have been putting on my armor [please see the newly revised article] then I have been praying through the Acrostic of Peace.

P = Protection from evil [See Shepherd Psalm 23; and the Lord’s Prayer Matthew. 6:33]
E = Entrance into an intimate prayer life with the help of the Holy Spirit [See John 15:25; 17:20 ad Romans 8:26]
A = Acceptance because Christ died for our sins on the cross [See John 3:16; 1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:4-5]
C = Contentment in all circumstances [See 1 Timothy 6:6; Philippians 4:12; 4:19]
E = Exalted position with at least 33 things by being placed in union with Christ [See Ephesians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 12:13] A bookmark is available]

Please try it could bless your year ahead as it has blessed mine!

Key verse for 2015:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:13