Psalm 20 and Falling Upward by Richard Rohr

The verses that attract my attention in this Psalm are 7 and 8.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright.

I think that "the name" of God embodies His attributes and character.  When we learn to rely on Him we will not fall.  How great is that?


I read (actually - browsed is more accurate)  Richard Rohr's Falling Upward : A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life.  Holly and I are in the midst of considering what our lives after UPS will look like.  This was a book that had been recommended. Rohr is a Franciscan priest from New Mexico and is a celebrated writer and speaker.  He is clearly very bright and extremely well read but I had a hard time getting past what I perceived as a strong bent toward universalism.  By that, I mean that his concept of spiritual maturity embraced all religions.  There is a strong presence of scripture in his work but also eastern mysticism and Greek philosophy.  One of the premises is that failure is a necessary part of growth.  Thus, the title, "Falling Upward".  This is reminiscent of Brene Brown's work, which I like much more.  I don't recommend this book, although to be fair, I didn't read it carefully.  Also, it is important to learn from those of a different view so maybe I should try again with an approach to find the good.

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Psalm 19

Just like Psalm 18 there are familiar scripture choruses from this chapter, "The Law of the Lord" and "Let the Words of My Mouth".  The first song is notable for reminders of the value of scripture in our lives.  The tune is good but the match of tune to text is awkward.  This complaint reminds me of a fresh priority in my life that I have been trying to apply - in fact, one of my other blogs has as its title, "Finding the Good Things in Life".  I just violated that principle but decided not to rewrite this paragraph.  I will, however, continue with what I was noticing in the Psalm.  The effect of scripture when it is applied:
     Soul revival
     Wisdom
     Heart of rejoicing
     Enlightened eyes
     Permanence
     Total righteousnes
     Warning
     Great reward
Those are pretty incredible benefits and give strong motivation for making time in the Word a priority.

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Psalm 18

In my reading of Psalm 18 this morning I was struck by the many ways that David describes what God is to him in the first two verses (strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, God, rock, shield, horn of my salvation and stronghold).  Just like yesterdays Psalm, there is great security in recognizing the resources that He provides.

Psalm 18:1-3 (ESV)
¹  I love you, O LORD, my strength.
²  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 


This next verse, together with verse 46 (in King James) comprise an old scripture song the I like.

³  I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
⁴⁶  The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. 

Psalm 18:19 (ESV) 
¹⁹  He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me. 



Verse 19 turned my thoughts to the place that I have in His heart.  This is beyond my comprehension but true anyway.  How is it possible that He delights in lowly me?

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Psalm 17

Today finds me in Victoria with my wife, considering the abundance of our blessings.  In reading Psalm 17, I was struck by verse 8 - "Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings."
My feelings were inclined toward security and thankfulness for God's regard for me (I am the center of His focus) and protection (I am hidden and sheltered from attack).

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Introduction

This is actually an old blog that I have neglected for a couple of years.  It is a place where I will share my thoughts from the things I have been reading - mostly scripture, although there are several thought provoking books on my shelf that I want to read and they will also prompt writing if things go around in my head as I expect.

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