Flashback Favorite: Choosing our focus

The ins, outs, ups, and downs of life can cause us to lose sight of what’s truly important. Especially when it feels like bad, scary things just keep happening over and over. However, regardless of what we’re facing, we can choose what we focus on.

Choosing our focus
Originally posted on April 29, 2015

There are many things to be afraid of in this life.

Every day, the morning newspaper is full of stories about dangerous situations, unsafe people, riots, and natural disasters.  Stories about people from all walks of life with hidden agendas, corruption, and greed shaping the decisions they make.  Some days, it just feels like the whole world is closing in with evil people and bad situations. 

By his choice of words, we can see that David felt that way often…especially when he was on the run from King Saul.  Saul wanted David dead, so that he could continue being king.  Since David’s adversary was the most powerful man in the country, it seemed that everywhere David turned, he was in danger.

Here’s how David describes his situation:

Psalm 57:4
I am in the midst of lions;
I lie down with those who devour me.
Their teeth are spears and arrows;
their tongues are sharp swords.

Don’t just glaze over this description.  Let’s try and picture what David’s describing here.

You’re out in the open.  Not just in proximity to wild animals, rather there are lions who freely roam around the area where you’re standing.  You look for shelter, for cover…anything that will help you avoid an attack.  Even where you sleep at night is not entirely safe.  And you don’t have to guess as to how the lions will treat you if they find you.  There will be blood, and certainly no mercy.

How do you feel?  Where’s your focus?

In moments like these, our real priorities come into a much sharper focus.  We clearly recognize what’s important and what is not.  Survival normally becomes the driving influence in all our decisions.  We may even select a few people we trust, and then we would make our next move. 

However, David’s next move is to look up

Psalm 57:5
God, be exalted above the heavens;
let Your glory be above the whole earth.

Previously in this psalm, David has approached God for refuge and protection.  However, when the danger arrives…when Saul comes close to where David is hiding…David’s request turns away from himself and focuses solely on God’s reputation.

That is the true challenge for us.  When we find ourselves in the crucible of life, when the corruption of the world is pressing in…are we looking to merely survive the evil around us, or are we looking to advance God’s reputation in this world?  Which do we desire more? 

If we choose the focus that David did, then the scary things in life won’t be so overwhelming. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Ken's TOP 10 (#1-5)

This month marks 10 YEARS since I took over THE WORD full time.  Crazy, I know!

In celebration of this milestone, I’m counting down the TOP 10 blog posts from the last 10 years.  To be honest, the process of choosing them was a lot harder than I expected.  It was like being forced to pick your favorite child or rank your best memories with your spouse.  There were a lot to choose from, because God’s taught me so much! 

My criteria included aspects like:
·       Biggest lessons God has taught me
·       Memorable ways I’ve had God’s truth play out in my life
·       Posts that I’ve returned to, in order to remind myself of what I’ve learned
·       Most popular posts via web search, clicks from email, or comments back from y’all

Last week, we went through the list, from #10 to #6. If you missed it, you can check it out here.  Without further ado, let’s countdown from #5 to #1 (click each title to link to the post):

#5
Dance floors and lampstands, posted on January 17, 2019 – A special night out with my wife showed my coworkers a side of me they hadn’t seen before.  It also provided a lasting lesson on how focusing on God creates a memorable witness to those around you.

#4
Coming out of the detour, posted on July 13, 2017 – I lost my job, and as a result, we knew we would have to move to a new state.  But where to go next proved harder to figure out than I thought it would.  And my wrestling with God was more intense than I ever thought possible…He provided, but on His terms and not mine.

#3
More than just thoughts and prayers, posted on May 26, 2022 – the Uvalde elementary school shooting struck a deep cord in me, and I was increasingly frustrated by the standard “thoughts and prayers” response of so many.  I believe I found the solution to school shootings…it may feel like a big ask, but big problems require all of us to step up.

#2
One year later – Joe Rheney has relocated to Heaven, posted on January 10, 2019 – on the one year anniversary of my mentor’s funeral, I posted this remembrance of the day we laid his body to rest.  It also includes the eulogy I gave at his funeral service, which answers the question “What does Christian discipleship look like?”  This post explains how the originator of THE WORD influenced my life’s path.

#1
The greatest reward possible, posted on September 26, 2019 – Our eternal destiny is secure when we believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 3:16), but did you know that God promises additional eternal rewards for those who serve Him well in this life?  These are greater rewards than I ever imagined, and God offers the opportunity to all believers.  You need to check out this post, I wouldn’t want you to miss out.  Understanding this concept changes the way we walk the Christian life.

I hope you take the time to read at least one of these, and I pray that resharing what I’ve learned will be helpful to you, as well.

Thank you for walking with me all these years! 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Ken’s TOP 10 (#6-10)

This month marks 10 YEARS since I took over THE WORD full time.  Crazy, I know!

In celebration of this milestone, I’m counting down the TOP 10 blog posts from the last 10 years.  To be honest, the process of choosing them was a lot harder than I expected.  It was like being forced to pick your favorite child or rank your best memories with your spouse.  There were a lot to choose from, because God’s taught me so much! 

My criteria included aspects like:

·       Biggest lessons God has taught me
·       Memorable ways I’ve had God’s truth play out in my life
·       Posts that I’ve returned to, in order to remind myself of what I’ve learned
·       Most popular posts via web search, clicks from email, or comments back from y’all

Without further ado, let’s countdown from #10 to #6:

#10
Understanding why God knows the number of hairs on our heads, posted on August 17, 2017 – This post is by far the most web searched post on my site.  I don’t know why other than maybe people have heard that God knows the number of hairs on your head, but that saying hasn’t brought a whole lot of comfort that God knows such a trivial thing about me.  What I found in my study was that the “hairs-on-your-head” phrase had a deeper meaning to the audience Jesus spoke it to.

#9
Blindsided, posted on May 22, 2015 – When you get “that call” out of the blue, what is our best response?  When grief is overwhelming and we don’t even know how to address God, what should we do?  This was a post I returned to when my step mom passed last year.  The words in the psalm are both powerful and comforting.

#8
My daddy said “STOP!”, posted on April 4, 2019 – Although this trick-or-treating incident happened nearly 20 years ago, the story has stuck with my family.  The spiritual parallels raised powerful questions for us to consider.  I still get choked up when I read the post and remember that night.

#7
He believed in me, posted on October 6, 2022 – We believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 3:16).  But what does it mean to “believe”?  Lots of people will try to add to it, but it’s not as complicated as we make it out to be.  This truth was demonstrated to me when I was on crutches and told my director I’d be ready when the performance week came.

#6
When the house tears itself apart, posted on October 28, 2021 – Who knew that an unexpected full-home remodel from my childhood would be such a great example for how we need to study the Scriptures?  Additionally, I learned what to do when I began to suspect that an interpretation I had of a passage might not be right.

I hope you take the time to read at least one of these, and I pray that resharing what I’ve learned will be helpful to you, as well.

Next week, we’ll count down the TOP 5!

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Why would God repay you?

As we’ve walked with David and Jeduthun through Psalm 62, they have instructed us to seek God when life gets rough.  When we are attacked, lied to, or in need of a refuge – they have pointed us to God each time.

The words of the psalm have been both challenging and eye-opening.  However, the first time I read through the psalm, the last line threw me a little bit.  It honestly seemed out of place. 

Psalm 62:11-12
God has spoken once; I have heard this twice:
strength belongs to God,
and faithful love belongs to You, Lord.
For You repay each according to his works.

While justice is a natural conclusion from His qualities of strength and love, why does the psalm end with:

For You repay each according to his works.

The general concept that “God is a God of justice”, I understand.  But why say it like this? 

As a church-age believer, I know that at the Bema seat judgment, all I have done – both good and bad – will be evaluated by God and I will be justly rewarded (or not) for my thoughts/choices/actions as a Christian (2 Corinthians 5:10).  HOWEVER, this psalm was written 1000 years before Christ’s birth, which means that David doesn’t know about the future Bema seat judgment.

The whole psalm has been about trusting God right now, for the relationship and the relational benefits in this life.  Does God reward us in this life?  Yes, He does…but we also know that monetary blessing or reward isn’t necessarily an indication of how good or bad my walk with God is at the moment. 

So how can we reconcile David’s last statement with the context of the previous verses?

Here’s what I discovered:

The Hebrew word for repay also means to make peace, or to be at peace. 

Now that we know the definition, this ending phrase makes sense in light of the entirety of the psalm…David and Jeduthun have been challenging us about where we find rest, where we find our security, and, ultimately, where we find our peace.

To the degree that we do the things that David has pointed out as our responsibility:

trusting in God alone
pouring out our heart to Him
not setting our heart on riches

Then all of David’s descriptions of God being our shelter/refuge/strength will become a reality.

And our soul will find rest because God will repay us…not necessarily with riches or material comfort…but with His peace as our refuge from everything the world throws at us.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The best kind of love

Is there any more abused word in the English language than the word “love”?

We positively “love” all sorts of things: sunsets, chocolate, coffee, our spouse, the dog, our favorite movie, etc.

We negatively (or sarcastically) “love” lots of things, too: our jobs, glitter, rained out plans, having the whole family sick at once, being inconvenienced, etc.

It’s common to hear – both in church and outside of church – that “God is love”.  But what does that mean?  Some people seem to get it backwards and treat it more like “Love is god”, and in this way of thinking, the warm, fuzzy feeling we all associate with love is the supreme characteristic over everything else.

Instead, love is a characteristic of God – so much so that we can aptly say that “Love belongs to God”.  And if God “owns” love, it’s best for us to define it the way that He does.  David brings this up as he concludes Psalm 62:

Psalm 62:11-12
God has spoken once; I have heard this twice:
strength belongs to God,
and faithful love belongs to You, Lord.
For You repay each according to his works.

God has a reputation that He is loving.

But this type of love isn’t the kind that’s just a nice, warm feeling…

The Hebrew word hesed indicates an unfailing love, a loyal love, a love filled with devotion and unlimited kindness…a covenant love that is both promised and upheld – no matter what happens.

Just as David has identified throughout Psalm 62, throughout life, we find malicious liars (some of them we don’t recognize at first), people at all different status levels, and opportunities for wealth (both legitimate and not)…but none of these things ultimately satisfy our need for security.  We desire to be safe.  If we don’t feel safe, it is impossible to rest and function to the full potential that God created us to have.

In the last two verses of this psalm, David’s point is clear: God is the only one that I can trust completely and feel safe and secure.  He won’t leave me.  I cannot guarantee anything will or will not happen in my day – because I can’t control everything – but I can rely on God’s unfailing hesed love to always be there.

Throughout the psalm we feel David’s confidence.  He’s putting everything on the LORD – and he’s determined to keep it that way.  Think of the words David has chosen:  He alone is my rock… my hope comes from him…salvation/glory depend on God…

When we recognize that God’s reputation of strength and hesed love is true, then we are able to confidently live like David lived. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Warnings and knee-jerk reactions

Have you ever ignored a warning? 

Maybe someone was trying to tell you about a potential pitfall, but for whatever reason, you didn’t hear them.  How did that end up for you?

So far, David has given us several warnings in Psalm 62.  He’s warned us about two-faced people that will lie to us:

Psalm 62:4
They only plan to bring him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in lying;
they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.

He’s warned us about the illusion of fame and status:

Psalm 62:9
Common people are only a vapor; important people, an illusion.
Together on a scale, they weigh less than a vapor.

Now, David gives us a two-for-one warning:

Psalm 62:10
Place no trust in oppression or false hope in robbery.
If wealth increases, don’t set your heart on it.

Don’t give in to the knee-jerk response: “Oppression?  I don’t oppress anybody!”

The only way to oppress someone is to first have power or authority over them.  Oppression happens when we misuse our authority in order to build ourselves up.  Have you ever flexed your authority muscles, just because you can? 

Don’t give in to the second knee-jerk response: “Robbery?  I haven’t robbed anybody!”

To rob someone is to take what doesn’t belong to you.  Maybe by your physical strength you took something, maybe you were cunning enough that they didn’t notice, or…have you ever taken credit for something that you didn’t do? 

If you answered “yes” to either of these questions, then you are in danger of doing what David is warning against: trusting your identity to your authority or placing your hope in what you can acquire – instead of trusting God.

While we might be tempted to write these warnings off as “play nice and I’ll be fine”, but in the last part of verse 10, David indicates that any reliance on wealth for our security would be foolish:

If wealth increases, don’t set your heart on it.

Making money is not a bad thing, in fact God tells us to work and earn a living in many places throughout the Bible.  However, in verse 10 David states that if wealth increases – and he doesn’t specify which type of riches, legitimate or otherwise – don’t set your heart on it.

Depending on the context, the Hebrew word for riches can indicate strength, capability, skill, valor, or wealth.  We would do well not to base our security on any of these things, even if they increase during our lifetime.

Even in a time of blessing and increase, we need God to continue to be our only source of security.  We can’t say that we haven’t been warned.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Contrasts provide clarity

Tunnel vision is a real thing, especially when we get wrapped up in the stress of our present circumstances.  Often times, we need a contrast to help us see clearly.  Noticing the difference between two places, two things, or two people helps us better understand both sides of the issue at hand. 

As we’ve walked through Psalm 62, we read about the attacks that David was under – threats, lies, and curses from two-faced people.  Instead of being consumed with thoughts about his attackers, David turned his attention toward God:

Psalm 62:5-8
Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.
My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge.
                                           Selah

After looking to God and recognizing everything that He means to him…when David looks back at his attackers, he has a different perspective:

Psalm 62:9
Common people are only a vapor; important people, an illusion.
Together on a scale, they weigh less than a vapor.

David’s first contrast is a strong one: Compared to the rock-solid refuge he finds in God, David sees common people as a simple vapor.

The Hebrew word for vapor is also the word translated in Ecclesiastes as “meaningless”.  The word hebel indicates something with no substance, something that is either empty or futile.  A physical example to demonstrate this term is a vapor or a soap bubble – hebel things are without value and unstable.

David’s contrast points out that the common, regular people we meet (and allow to have influence in our lives) are hebel – and clearly not as reliable as the “rock” or the “refuge” that God has been described as.  Hebel people are only around for a short time, and they are neither powerful nor reliable.  Within this illustration, we recognize that a vapor is also subject to the circumstances around it.  A puff of air is enough to disrupt a vapor and change its shape.  Similarly, people are too easily disrupted by circumstances and selfishness for David to expect them to provide shelter or rescue.

David’s second contrast continues the theme: Important people = an illusion

How do we recognize an “important” person?  Those that have power or money or fame or lots of followers?  However, when life gets tough, we often find that what we considered to be “important” was not actually what we should have valued the most.  As David looks at the important people around him, he realizes something about their importance: It’s not real.  “Important” is a misnomer at best because no one can claim to be important when we are comparing any of us to God himself.

Since a vapor has no meaningful stability and an illusion has no physical substance, together they don’t amount to much.  If they were weighed on a scale or balance, they would have no value…what we find is that the current social-status of a person has no true eternal worth.

This line of thinking brings to light some very real questions that we all must deal with:

What/Who are you relying on? 
What/Who defines you? 

If it is God, then your foundation is strong and secure.  David’s contrast shows us that if it is something/someone else, you cannot find the rest, peace, or security we all seek. 

Keep Pressing,
Ken

The wrong refuge

Financial advisor Dave Ramsey recommends taking a two-step approach to building an “Emergency Fund.”  First, save up $1,000.  Then, after you pay off all debt (except your house), your next Emergency Fund target is 3x-6x your monthly expenses.  When my wife and I first learned about this approach, it didn’t take much effort to reach the first step – we paused eating out, rearranged some spending habits, and probably sold a thing or two we weren’t using.  Paying off all consumer debt took a while, but when we finally made it, we stumbled hard on the saving up for 3x-6x our monthly expenses.

Admittedly, we lost momentum…and it was our fault.  We had freed up a lot of space in the monthly budget by getting out of debt, which gave us the flexibility to do more things than we had previously.  Haphazard saving would bring us up a little bit – then life would happen, the Emergency Fund would take a hit, and we’d start building again.  Eventually, years later, we finally hit 100% of the 3x goal.  And let me tell you – it felt great!  It was so nice to know we were very prepared for potentially sizeable emergencies. 

And then…as it always does…life happened.  Our 3x goal wasn’t 100% funded anymore.  We were sitting maybe 50-60%.  While I was grateful that we could handle the situation without going into debt, I began to notice that I was feeling “less ok” about our financial situation.  My thoughts went along these lines: I’m glad we were prepared to take a 50% hit, but it’s going to take some time to build that back up.  Another 50% size hit (or bigger) would be devastating.  And I began to feel anxious about what to do next, and my mind swirled for days around how quickly we could recover.

I hadn’t realized that while we were building up the Emergency Fund, I was slowly becoming dependent upon the amount in the Emergency Fund as validation of our (my) ability to take care of our (my) family.  It wasn’t until after the Emergency Fund took a sizable hit that I discovered how much I viewed it as our rescue in tough times.  As I thought through these feelings, I also remembered the times when I was doing the budget, I’d look at the Emergency Fund with a small amount of pride: Yeah, that amount looks good.  Look how much we (I) have prepared us for any unforeseen issues.  While I wouldn’t brag about it to others, I certainly gave myself a mental pat on the back for the on-going achievement status.

But let’s be honest and think about this realistically…God got us through plenty of other times when our Emergency Fund was much less than the 50% it was at that moment.  That’s not a reason to avoid setting aside 3x-6x of our monthly expenses for emergencies, but there’s always the possibility that an emergency will come along that has a greater price tag than any amount we could save.  My faulty thinking was that the Emergency Fund was our (my) salvation and our (my) glory.  Our rescue and proof of success shouldn’t have been tied up in how much money we had in the bank.  The whole situation really wasn’t a money issue…instead, the money revealed a heart issue that needed to be dealt with.

As we’ve progressed through Psalm 62, David and Jeduthun have pointed out the evil that others can do against us.  In these next verses, they continue to point us toward the right response:

Psalm 62:7-8
My salvation and glory depend on God, my strong rock.
My refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, you people;
pour out your hearts before Him.
God is our refuge.
                                           Selah

God is the only one who is stable and secure.  When I trust Him with my present and future circumstances, then my soul finds rest and refuge from whatever difficult circumstances or trying people come my way.  No other person, place, or thing will satisfy my need for refuge – because there’s always the possibility that the situation could be larger than I can prepare for.  But with God as my focus and my trusted rescue, I know I am secure.

Let’s not forget that the Israelites used the psalms during the temple worship service – for singing, praying, and meditating.  That’s something for us to consider doing as well:

Has what we’ve been singing lately sounded anything like these verses?
Have our recent prayers recognized our dependency on God?

If we answered “no” to one or both of these questions…perhaps we should consider meditating on how much we need to depend on God.

While you’re meditating, pour out your heart to God.  All of it.  He can handle it. 

We find rest and refuge in Him when we do.

Keep Pressing,
Ken

Feeling stuck

We never purposely navigate into a bad situation.  We start new things with the expectation that they will bring opportunities or beneficial relationships – new job, new house, new love interest, new school.  But when the newness wears off, and the situation isn’t what you expected, what is your response?

Are you tempted to bail out?  But what if you can’t – you moved to a new state for this new job, or you signed a 30 year mortgage, or you want to follow through on your wedding vows, or you’ve already paid for your tuition.  Even if it’s hard to stay…oftentimes, it can become harder (in different ways) if you leave.  So, how do you feel? 

Stuck. 

Nobody likes the feeling of being trapped in a bad job, bad situation, or bad relationship.  How do you handle feeling “stuck”?

We’ve been looking at a psalm co-authored by Jeduthun and David.  As we progressed through the song, we see they are definitely stuck with opponents who are trying to take them down.  Let’s review what we’ve read so far:

Psalm 62:1-4
For the choir director: according to Jeduthun.  A psalm of David.

I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

How long will you threaten a man?
Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering fence?
They only plan to bring him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in lying;
they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.
                                           Selah

And now for the next part of the psalm:

Psalm 62:5-6
Rest in God alone, my soul, for my hope comes from Him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will not be shaken.

This is the main point of the psalm, so it certainly bears repeating…especially after looking at how the world often treats those who choose to follow God.

The only difference between this chorus in verses 5-6 and what we read in verses 1-2 is the replacement of the word salvation (seeing God as our deliverance from earthly enemies) with the word hope (seeing God as the source of our confident expectation).  With both words – salvation and hope – David is looking to God for what only God can do.

As we read these words, we realize that David is articulating the deepness of his relationship with God.  David knows God well enough that he can depend on Him, even when faced with malicious liars who want to see him fail.  It is because of the deepness of this relationship with God that David can make the strong statements like my soul finds rest in God alone and he alone is my rock, my salvation, my stronghold and I will not be shaken.

Do we have that same level of confidence in God to take care of our situation…or when other people are causing us trouble? 

Is God the first one we turn to when we feel stuck?

The kind of relationship David writes about didn’t happen overnight.  David’s confidence in God didn’t miraculously appear in the middle of his difficult situation.  There’s only one reason David can fully rely on God in this situation – because prior to this difficulty, he has purposely invested time to know God.

And therein lies the questions for our own application:

If I’m facing trouble now, have I told God that I trust Him with it?
or
If I’m not facing trouble right now, am I taking steps to stay close to Him so I’m ready when the difficulties come?

Keep Pressing,
Ken

When feeling threatened

When was the last time you felt threatened?

That’s a provocative question, for sure.  But how quickly does a situation like one of these come to mind?

Did you feel threatened during a not-so-friendly competition at work?
Did you feel threatened when someone you thought of as a friend started attacking you?
Did you feel threatened when a relationship with your spouse, your child, or your parent went sideways?

What was your reaction to this feeling of being threatened, and what was your response to those circumstances?

However you handled it (for better or worse), know that you’re not alone in the experience.  Feeling threatened and figuring out how to deal with it is something we all must face.  It’s not new to the human condition, either.  Power struggles, at a personal level, have occurred throughout history.  So, it’s no surprise to find characters in the Bible dealing with threats to their safety, well-being, status, or position. 

After beginning Psalm 62 by recognizing God as the source of salvation, i.e. – rescue from life’s current circumstances – David and Jeduthun take a look at the world around them…and it doesn’t look like a safe place.  They have several questions as they confront those who are threatening them:

Psalm 62:3-4
How long will you threaten a man?
Will all of you attack as if he were a leaning wall or a tottering fence?
They only plan to bring him down from his high position.
They take pleasure in lying;
they bless with their mouths, but they curse inwardly.
                                           Selah

David and Jeduthun now introduce the main conflict, their earthly struggle with those who choose to do evil against them.  The assault is a constant barrage…those in support of evil are attacking the man of God, and their only plan is to bring him down, as if he were a leaning wall that only needed an extra push before falling over.

At the moment, their enemies aren’t physically attacking them.  Instead, notice what their main weapon of attack is –  their mouths.  Deceitful words pour out from the cursing within their own hearts.  The enemies’ lies are premeditated and aim to take David and Jeduthun down a notch.

If you’ve ever had someone bad-mouth you behind your back, I’m sure you can recognize David’s frustration here.  When dealing with two-faced people, it can be tough to figure out what their motive is and why they are spreading lies.  David’s question of How long will you threaten…? is dripping with aggravation.  How long will he have to put up with this?  How long will they try to get away with their slander?  How long until God steps in?

But then verse 4 ends with an obscure Hebrew term – Selah.  Although scholars aren’t 100% sure what this term means…many have suggested that it is a musical term to indicate a pause in the song, giving the ones singing a chance to stop and think about the song-writers’ point. 

And that’s a good idea…up until this point in the psalm, David has recognized that God is the source of his earthly rescue from trouble and that his enemies are continuously spreading lies about him.  Since we experience the same situations, here are some things to stop and think about:

Have you experienced malicious liars? 
Take a moment and think about how you have dealt with them in the past.
Take a moment and think about how God can rescue you the next time someone lies about you.
Take a moment and ask God to help you best respond when that situation happens.

Keep Pressing
Ken