But there was a risk connected with everything, and we were hard men bred to a hard life in a hard land, and the lives that we lived were lonely, yet rich with the voice of our singing, and with tales told of an evening by the campfire.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Killoe)

    “But Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.'”
              –Matthew 8:20 (NLT)
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Paulus Gerhardt said that “The Book of Psalms is a theatre, in which God allows us to behold both Himself and His works; a most pleasant greenfield; a vast garden where we see all manner of flowers.”  This is very clearly seen in Psalm 8.
    Last week we looked at the first part of Psalm 8 in which the majesty and omnipotence of God is seen.  The rest of the Psalm is dedicated to man, his position and purpose on earth.

              You have made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. (5)
              You made him lord over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet; (6)
              all the sheep and oxen, as well as animals in the wild, (7)
              birds of the sky, and fish of the sea passing through the currents of the seas. (8)
              O LORD, our Lord, how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth! (9) (HCSB)

Man was created to be a honorable and noble person.  Even with the Fall man still has dignity and is above the creation.  David is quick to show that he is less than God (some version say, “heavenly beings”).  That is one reason that Paul states that we should think noble and honorable thoughts (Philippians 4:8).  Because man is honorable he should dwell on the things that are honorable and commendable.  In this Psalm, David does not look at the Fall and the depravity of man, but on the dignity of man.
    Before we can understand the true and proper dignity of man, David shows that we must first have an understanding of the true nature of God.  When that happens then man, as a son of God, can begin to do what God does ceaselessly–that is to live a loving life.  We are created in His image.
    Man is given the job of being the caretaker of God’s wonderful creation.  Much of the time we have left the word “care” out and just became the taker.  Part of our purpose is to care for God’s creation; to be good stewards.  If might be good if we look at the parable of the master who gave out the talents to his servants.  They were to be “good” stewards of the master’s possessions.
    Next time you take a trip–look at the majesty of His creation.  Or, stay at home and glimpse at the heavens at night–look at the majesty of God’s creation.  To look at nature, at the wonder of His creation, is to just get a glimpse of His majesty.

              “This is my Father’s world:
               I rest me in the thought
               Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas–
               His hand the wonders wrought.”
                        –Maltbie Babcock

But he welcomed any physical ordeal.  He saw how a great strife with the elements, a strain to the uttermost of his strength and his passion to fight, would save his faith, his hope, perhaps his mind.”
              –Zane Grey  (Wanderer of the Wasteland)

    “And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”
              –2 Timothy 4:8 (NLT)
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The world is spinning out of control and that’s a fact.  Maybe not in the physical sense, but in the moral and spiritual sense chaos, and confusion now seems to be the norm.  The great conveyor of confusion–the devil must be smiling with glee as what he is causing in the world.  However, despite his effort, God is in control.
   With all the junk that is happening in the world, yes the world, not just in our country, we may wonder what in the world is going on.  We should look at the words of Jesus,

         “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
                    –Luke 21:28 (NASB)

Maybe it’s my old age, maybe it is because of the confusion and chaos, but it seems that my heart is lighter.  The past couple of days there have been a couple of songs going through my mind, besides the one I shared yesterday.

                 “Heaven is nearer, and the way growth clearer,
                  For I’m in the glory-land way.”
                         –J.S. Torbett

                  “O glory, hallelujah!
                   I am on the way to Heaven,
                   Shouting glory, shouting glory….”
                         –Herbert J. Lacey

    How in the world then, can we have comfort in this crazy world?  By knowing the Lord Jesus, and having His Word in our heart.  There is no comfort apart from that.  It is hard to be encouraged if we do not know the Word.  The Holy Spirit always encourages through doctrine, and yet, doctrine is largely ignored today.  No wonder those in the church are wandering, living as the world and not in it.
    Here is something to ponder.  The day that Jesus died is known as Good Friday.  Now, why is that?  It was a day of suffering and sorrow.  A day of gloom and darkness.  The Messiah was dead.  But because of that Friday Jesus was able to defeat death, hell, and the grave as in shown in His victorious resurrection.  Lloyd-Jones leaves us three questions about that day.  If you understand the doctrine behind this you might just give a little shout.

         1)  Do we realize what eventuates from His going to that death?
         2)  Do we realize the blessings that followed?
         3)  Do we realize that He went deliberately in order that these things might come to pass?

Ponder those!  No wonder it is called “Good Friday.”
    Jesus always meets us right where we are.  He prepares us for this present world and the immediate future.  He made you a child of God and you can have confidence in that.  He dwells within us guiding us through the confusion and chaos of this world and pointing us to that heavenly home that He has prepared for us.

A man should stop ever’ now and again and ask himself what he was doing, where he was going, and how he planned to get there.  And the hardest thing to learn is that there aren’t any shortcuts.”
              –Louis L’Amour  (Tucker)

    “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”
              –Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)
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We have on our property some of that black gumbo (not the eating kind).  Don’t try to walk in it when it is wet, for that muck will suck the shoes right off your feet.  It’s not like quicksand, but it will hold you secure in its grip.  Perhaps you’ve seen cows stuck in a bog not able to move.  Those animals will die because they can’t get out unless someone comes along with a rope and drags them to dryer ground.  So were we once, in our spiritual state–bogged down in sin.

              “My heart was distressed ‘neath Jehovah’s dread frown,
               And low in the pit where my sins dragged me down;
               I cried to the Lord from the deep, miry clay,
               Who tenderly bro’t me out to golden day.”
                      –H. J. Zelley

When we walk through the world we can get bogged down, just like one of those cows.  We need a strong rope with a stronger person on the other end pulling to get us out.  Once we are out we walk through the forests and glens with Him by our side.  Our feet are established on solid ground as we follow Him.

              “He placed me upon the strong Rock by His side,
               My steps were established and here I’ll abide;
               No danger of falling while here I remain,
               But stand by His grace until the crown I gain.”

Safe on solid ground, makes the heart surely want to sing.  We look back at that muck and our hearts sing a praise to the One who pulled us free.  Once trying to walk in the mire, each step we were being sucked down deeper and deeper, but now there is a lightness to our step.

              “He gave me a song, ’twas a new song of praise,
               By day and by night its sweet notes I will raise;
               My heart’s overflowing, I’m happy and free,
               I’ll praise my Redeemer, who has rescued me.

               I’ll sing of His wonderful mercy to me,
               I’ll praise Him till all men His goodness shall see;
               I’ll sing of salvation at home and abroad,
               Till many shall hear the truth and trust in God.”

We can wipe our brow and smile now that the ordeal is over and we have been pulled.  There was no hope, just as Christian knew when he was floundering in the slough of despair.  But now, now there is hope for He has reached down to save us.  

              “I’ll tell of the pit, with its gloom and despair,
               I’ll praise the dear Father, who answered my prayer;
               I’ll sing my new song, the glad story of love,
               Then join in the chorus with the saints above.

                                 He bro’t me out of the miry clay,
                                 He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
                                 He puts a song in my soul today,
                                 A song of praise, hallelujah.”

I might note that the verses were written by H.J. Zelley and the chorus by H.L. Gilmour who also composed the music for this uplifting song that definitely brings us up and out of that mire in which we once were stuck.

Nature never tired him.  If he had any peace it emanated from the silent places, the solemn hills, the flowers and animals of the wild and lonely land.”
              –Zane Grey  (The Mysterious Rider)

    “I raise my eyes toward the mountains.  Where will my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
              –Psalm 121:1-2 (HCSB)
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I have often written here my enjoyment of nature and of God’s creation.  It never ceases to marvel me.  I enjoy the scenery when I travel.  I enjoy the sounds; the other day while I was pondering, reading, and writing I stopped to listen to the squirrels rushing back in forth on the limbs of the trees.  This morning, as I was going out, I stopped to listen to the gentle rain falling through the leaves on the trees.  
    It was peaceful, calming.  But where does peace come from?  Not nature.  It comes from the Creator.  In Psalm 121, David says that he will look to the mountains.  He is not saying that the mountains will rescue him.  On the contrary, the reason he looks to the mountains is that mountains in Scripture often depict the government of God.  Only in Him can there be true justice.  Only in Him will there be peace from our adversaries.
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I came across the following in my reading last week.  It was written by D.L. Moody.

         A converted Chinese once said: “I was down in a deep pit, half sunk in the mire, crying for someone to help me out.  As I looked up I saw a venerable, gray-haired man looking down at me.
         ‘My son,’ he said, ‘this is a dreadful place.’
         ‘Yes,’ I answered, ‘I fell into it; can’t you help me out?’
         ‘My son,’ was his reply, ‘I am Confucius.  If you had read my books and followed what they taught, you would never have been here.’
         ‘Yes, father,’ I said, ‘but can’t you help me out?’
         As I looked he was gone.  Soon I saw another form approaching, and another man bent over me, this time with closed eyes and folded arms.  He seemed to be looking to some far-off place.
         ‘My son,’ Buddha said, ‘just close your eyes and fold your arms, and forget all about yourself.  Get into a state of rest.  Don’t think about anything that can disturb.  Get so still that nothing can move you.  Then, my child, you will be in such delicious rest as I am.’
         ‘Yes, father,’ I answered, ‘I will when I am above ground.  Can’t you help me out?’  But Buddha, too, was gone.
         I was just beginning to sink into despair when I saw another figure above me, different from the others.  There were marks of suffering on His face.  I cried out to Him, ‘O, Father, can you help me?’
         ‘My child,’ He said, ‘what is the matter?’
         Before I could answer Him, He was down in the mire by my side.  He folded His arms about me and lifted me up; then He fed me and rested me.  When I was well He did not say, ‘Now don’t do that again,’ but He said, ‘We will walk on together now’; and we have been walking together until this day.”

    It reminds me of the words of that great song.  

         “He brought me out of the miry clay,
          He set my feet on the Rock to stay;
          He puts a song in my soul today,
          A song of praise, hallelujah.”
                   –H.L. Gilmour

The way may be full of obstacles that range from rocks and boulders strewn across the trail, to storms that leave the trail mired with mud.  Hidden sinkholes may abound.  However, our Guide, the Holy Spirit, is walking the trail with us.