The Candy Man and Psalm 27

I went to Wabash Tap last night to meet with a couple who goes to Urban Village and we were sitting there, quietly (well, not so quietly as the Blackhawks game was on in the background) chatting and they were munching on cheeseburgers when a man approached us. His odor and demeanor made it pretty clear that he had been drinking quite heavily. He was wearing a Blackhawks jersey and he put a miniature Stanley Cup down on our table.

"I need you to rub this for good luck," he slurred.

For those who don't know, the Blackhawks are in the playoffs against the Vancouver Canucks, but they were behind 3 games to none in the best-of-seven series. In other words, things were looking pretty grim.

The man started chatting about the Blackhawks for a while (I'm not a hockey fan, but I knew enough to keep the conversation going) and, after we rubbed the cup for luck, he moved on to the next table. About 15 minutes later, he was back. He had a plastic Walgreens bag filled with large boxes of Whoppers, Sno-Caps, and Jujyfruit candies.

"Here," he said. "Take one."

I wasn't exactly sure what he meant, but apparently he wanted us to have one of these boxes of candy. I wondered why he was being so generous and he explained to me that people knew him around that bar as the Candy Man because he gives away candy. Who am I to say no to the Candy Man so I took a box of Whoppers. I wanted to thank him by his real name so I asked him what other name he goes by. "I'm also known as Mr. Big," he said.

Of course he is.

This morning, I read my latest Favorite Verse in the Bible from Psalm 27:13-14: "I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" I particularly like verse 13. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. I've been repeating that to myself all day today and when thinking of my interaction with the Candy Man (aka Mr. Big), I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in that exchange.

Psalm 18, part 1--dependence

I'm going to break up Psalm 18 into two parts. Today I read verses 1-24.

This is a psalm of thanksgiving to God for God's deliverance of David from enemies. Much gratitude at the beginning and then a very graphic description of how that deliverance took place--a description of a God who was angry, smoking coming from his nostrils and devouring fire from his mouth. This God reaches down from on high and draws David from the mighty waters, delivering from his enemy. Verse 17 is the one that caught my attention: "He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me."

For they were too mighty for me. An acknowledgement of...vulnerability? Limitedness? Weakness? Not sure, but I find it very comforting, to be able to name the fact that much in this life may seem too mighty (overwhelming) for us. The God of this psalm is very active and, needless to say, powerful. I'm not sure if my image of God is one with smoky nostrils and "firey" mouth. But when I think about trying to tackle this ministry (or even tackle this life), I breathe much easier knowing that (a) it probably is too mighty for me and (b) I believe in a God who will deliver me, act on my behalf, and will hear me when I call.

Catching up

I'm still reading these psalms every day, but I'm falling behind in blogging them. Briefly:

Psalm 13: This one has really affected me. When I wonder why I do what I do or why the church should do what it does, I imagine the voice of this psalmist as the voice of many in this city who are lonely, hurt, and at the end of their rope. "How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long?" So many need to know they are not alone.

Psalm 14: The pessimist's psalm. There is no good, he says. Anywhere. It inspires me to step forward and say, yes, there is.

Psalm 15: Need an instruction manual? Here's a few things to consider when wondering, Hmm, I wonder if I'm abiding in God's holy tent (because so many of us wonder that very thing):

Do what is right

Speak the truth from the heart

Do not slander with your tongue

Do not lend money at interest (now there's a great conversation starter)

Plus, there just has to be "Despise the wicked." Lest we forget that there are enemies out there.

Psalm 16: What's this? A psalm full of joy and promise? "You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy. In your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Glorious. I'm eager to get to Psalm 24, but so far, 8 and 16 have been more of your upbeat psalm.

Psalm 17: This is the psalm for those who say, "I've lived a good life, haven't I? I've done all the right things." Of course, who's to say what "good" is, but the psalmist here makes his case. I imagine the older son in the Prodigal Son story liking this psalm.

Psalm 12--A good Christian is hard to find

A friend recently had this interesting line in an email he sent: "I don't doubt God, just His darling creations." The author of Psalm 12 could relate, I think.

People will eventually let us down. Even those we trust and love the most. Sometime, somewhere that special someone, the one you look up to and admire, will mess up. Though we are crowned with glory and honor (Psalm 8), those crowns don't always shine. They have cracks. Jewels fall out.

That's the frustration of Psalm 12. Verses 1 and 2: "Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind. They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." Where are the godly?

On the one hand, it motivates me to (despite my own faults and foibles) to stand up and say, we're here! I'm faithful (most of the time)! I don't utter lies (very often)! I don't have a double heart (on my better days)!

On the other hand, it reminds me that, in the end, our ultimate trust and hope can only be in God. "The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure" (v. 6a). That's not to say that we don't sometimes feel like God has abandoned us. Many psalms wonder that very thing. I have to depend, though, in the everlasting presence and nearness of God.