March 17: Happiness to Those Who Trust in God
♫ Music:
Day 16 - Thursday, March 17
Title: HAPPINESS TO THOSE WHO TRUST IN GOD
Scripture: Psalm 34
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
I sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.
Come, you children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life,
And loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
And your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good;
Seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
And His ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,
And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He guards all his bones;
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
Poetry:
Up-Hill
by Christina Rossetti
Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend.
But is there for the night a resting-place?
A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.
May not the darkness hide it from my face?
You cannot miss that inn.
Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?
Those who have gone before.
Then must I knock, or call when just in sight?
They will not keep you standing at that door.
Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?
Of labour you shall find the sum.
Will there be beds for me and all who seek?
Yea, beds for all who come.
HE IS OUR PEACE
“They looked to him and were radiant.”
Here is the peace we are searching for. Day after day, we run around, harassed and harried. Never enough time, never getting it quite right, never really—not really—okay.
So let’s take a look at our hearts, in the presence of God. Like the psalmist, I’m going to talk to my soul—and I hope you will come along with me.
Oh my soul, there is peace for you. Right now. “Seek peace and pursue it,” instructs David, “there is no want to those who fear Him.”
But you have to see the choice. Over and over, David contrasts the wicked and the righteous. If there is light and peace and God’s listening ear for the righteous, there is condemnation and slaughter and distance from God for the wicked.
“Come, you children,” invites David, “I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life?”
You have to desire life. You have to want peace.
Oh my soul, you have to actually want God!
And I don’t always. So often I turn my face from Him. It is easier to read Twitter. It is easier to watch TV.
I know that sounds simplistic, oh my soul. I know you’ll just say, “yeah, yeah.”
But, it’s true. Oh my soul, you have to say no to some of the things that are eating up your time. Because you are finite. You just cannot pay attention to all the things.
Oh my soul, you are not that BIG.
You cannot say yes to time with God without saying no to time with something else.
And you have to actually want God, because there really isn’t life without Him—not life, not peace, not any good and green growing thing. No trees planted by streams of water, yielding their fruit in due season. Not without God. All of that is from Him, you see.
He is the river where the water flows.
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous,” David attests—and he would know. (I could love this psalm for that line alone—I am so grateful that the scripture tells the truth about the fact that God’s people suffer.)
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous.
“But the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
In other words, as Rosetti said, there is rest at the end of the road—rest for all who are walking the road of the righteous.
And, of course, the righteous are those with their eyes fixed upon the Lord.
Because, as the psalm also shows us, the righteous are those who are walking in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus. This psalm, unsurprisingly, is really about Him.
The Lord Jesus—“great David’s greater son”—is the one who truly obeyed this psalm. He truly did bless the Lord at all times, He tasted and saw that the Lord was good, and He truly did keep His tongue from speaking evil.
And because He did, we can. Because He will give us His own righteousness to cover us.
“Come, you children,” says David, inviting in the plural, because this is something we do together. “The righteous” are a group—a group millions strong, a group as joyful and sure as the choir that sings today’s music. The church is pictured in the art that accompanies this devotion—a bright throng that embodies the communal nature of this psalm—“let us exult the Lord together, let us bless the Lord!”
What God wants is our attention. What He wants is us. And in turn He gives us His attention. And He gives us Himself.
And that is peace. And that is life.
Oh my soul, there is no other road.
Prayer
O God of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
––from The Book of Common Prayer
Jessica Snell
Biola Class of 2003
Writer and Editor
For more information about the artwork, music, and poetry selected for this day, we have provided resources under the “About” tab located next to the “Devotional” tab.
About the Artwork:
The Procession
John August Swanson
Copyright 2007
Hand-printed serigraph
Published by the artist with collaboration of
Aurora Serigraphic Studio, Van Nuys, CA
Edition Size: 250
Paper: Coventry, 100% cotton rag, acid free, vellum white
Serigraph image: 36" x 24"
Inspired by a grand procession the artist saw at San Javier del Bac Mission in Tucson, Arizona, painter John August Swanson considered The Procession “the grand work” of his life. The artist explained his work in these words: “The journey or procession takes us out of our ordinary lives to experience a transcendental or universal connection. The outward walk reflects an inner journey. We have taken the steps to move to another space in the journey of our lives. We, in our communities of faith, are a procession of stories, stories both unique and shared, stories connected to those who have gone before us and those who will come after us. …The great procession is a celebration of life and faith where the rich and poor march in unison; the strong carry the weak, and the weak humble the proud; those who know the dance teach those who are just learning; and a child lifts high the banner for all to follow in joy, in peace, in love. This is the reality, the spirit I want to make real in this work.” The theologian, Professor Alejandro Garcia-Rivera (1951–2010), wrote, "The Procession invites us to join its imagination and, in doing so, we also become part of The Procession. Our living story commingles with the little stories of the Mission and, then, somehow we realize that our story is part of a larger story, a Big Story of Heaven coming to Earth and bringing forth new life."
https://youtu.be/JX2urSoXPxs
http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm/PID=1.2-22.htm
About the Artist:
John August Swanson (1938–2021) was a painter, printmaker, and mixed media artist born in Los Angeles, California, who is most widely known for his limited edition prints of biblical stories and themes. His work is technically masterful, characterized by vibrant color, elaborate pattern, and intricate detail. His unique style draws on Islamic and medieval miniatures, Russian iconography, the Mexican muralist tradition, Latin American folk art, and his own Swedish and Mexican heritage. His works have been reproduced on a large scale in mosaic and mural painting in California at Concordia University in Irvine, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Glendale, and the former Crystal Cathedral in Anaheim. In 2005 Swanson was one of thirty-three inaugural recipients—along with Pope John Paul II, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and President Jimmy Carter—of the Mother Teresa Award for achievements that beautify the world. His art is represented in the permanent collections of many museums, including The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museums of American History, American Art, and Air and Space; the Art Institute of Chicago; Harvard University’s Fogg Museum; the Tate Gallery; the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris; and the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Religious Art, where the original painting of The Procession resides. Extensive collections of Swanson’s art and archives of his work and papers are held by Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia.
http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/
About the Music:
“Psalm 34” from the album I Am Reminded
Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I sought the Lord
And He answered me
And delivered me
From every fear
Those who look on Him
Are radiant
They'll never be ashamed
They'll never be ashamed
This poor man cried
And the Lord heard me
And saved me from
My enemies
The Son of God
Surrounds His saints
He will deliver them
He will deliver them
[Chorus]
Magnify the Lord with me
Come exalt His name together
Glorify the Lord with me
Come exalt His name forever
[Verse 2]
Oh taste and see
That the Lord is good
Oh blessed is he
Who hides in Him
Oh fear the Lord
Oh all you saints
He'll give you everything|
He'll give you everything
[Chorus]
Magnify the Lord with me
Come exalt His name together
Glorify the Lord with me
Come exalt His name forever (x2)
[Bridge]
Let us bless the Lord
Every day and night
Never ending praise
May our incense rise (x4)
[Chorus]
Magnify the Lord with me
Come exalt His name together
Glorify the Lord with me
Come exalt His name forever (x2)
Oh taste and see
That the Lord is good
He'll give you everything
He'll give you everything
About the Performers:
The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir is directed by Carol Cymbala, the wife of Pastor Jim Cymbala. The two-hundred-eighty-voice choir, which for the most part is composed of vocally untrained church members, has recorded three videos, three DVDs, and numerous albums, winning five Dove Awards and six Grammy Awards. Their concert venues in New York City have included Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, and the Madison Square Garden Theater. They also had the honor of singing at the Billy Graham Crusades that were held in New York City’s Central Park and Flushing Meadows Park. The recognition that the choir has received has provided them with a wide open door for ministry in presenting the gospel message through music to people all over the world.
https://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/the-choir
About the Composer:
Shane Barnard (b. 1976) is a member of the duo Shane & Shane, a Texas-based contemporary worship music band known for acoustic praise and worship music. The band consists of Shane Barnard (vocals, acoustic guitar) and Shane Everett (vocals). Barnard attended Texas Tech University and later Texas A&M University, where he led worship at the popular Christian student gathering called Breakaway, and where he met Everett. Barnard is also known for his unique style of strumming the acoustic guitar and his high vocal range. During his junior year as a student at Texas A&M University, Barnard began a recording career. Barnard is married to fellow CCM artist Bethany Dillon.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_%26_Shane
About the Poet:
Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) was a Victorian poet who is known for her simple, lyrical work. She published poems in the feminist periodicals The English Woman’s Journal and Victoria Magazine, as well as in various other anthologies. Today her poetry is regarded as some of the most beautiful and innovative of the period. Critical interest in Rossetti’s poetry was renewed in the last decades of the twentieth century, a resurgence largely generated by the emergence of feminist criticism. Her work strongly influenced the work of writers such as Ford Madox Ford, Virginia Woolf, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Elizabeth Jennings, and Philip Larkin. Critic Basil de Selincourt stated that she was “all but our greatest woman poet…incomparably our greatest craftswoman…probably in the first twelve of the masters of English verse.” Rossetti’s Christmas poem “In the Bleak Midwinter” became widely known after her death when it was set as a Christmas carol, first by Gustav Holst and then by Harold Darke. Her poem “Love Came Down at Christmas” has also been widely arranged as a carol.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/christina-rossetti
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossettihttps://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/christina-rossetti
About the Devotion Author:
Jessica Snell
Biola Class of 2003
Writer and Editor
Jessica Snell is a writer and editor who graduated from Biola University and the Torrey Honors College in 2003. Her work has appeared in Focus on the Family, For the Church, Mysterion, Christ and Pop Culture, Daily Science Fiction, and many more. She and her husband live in sunny Southern California with their four children. You can read more about her and her work at jessicasnell.com.