Look inside this book.Where the Bush is Burning: A Daily Devotional by [Thomas Tice]

Tag: Psalm 37
The Eye of Experience

The Eye of Experience

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The Eye of Experience

I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Psalm 37:25

Experience is a wonderful thing.  David had many experiences in life, and from those experiences he learned much.  As he wrote the psalm from which our text derives, he cast an experienced eye over the various circumstances which he had observed.  As an old, experienced believer he declares, ‘yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken nor his descendants begging bread.’  David had observed over the course of his lifetime the utter faithfulness of God.  We also may speak of the faithfulness of God through Christ.  We have found Him to be utterly faithful to us.  God took us up ‘out of a fearful pit and from the miry clay.’  He has set our ‘upon the Rock,’ Christ Jesus.  He has established our goings.  He has given us a testimony of His Goodness.  ‘Many shall see it and shall fear, and shall magnify the Lord.’  He has fed us, clothed us, housed us, taught us, and sustained us.  We magnify Christ in every way and under all circumstances.  Even the situations which we encounter which we understand the least He controls and overrules for our good.  Today we testify of the perfect works and ways of God toward us who trust in Him.   This is the testimony of us who have beheld His works over a lifetime.

Our most Holy and Faithful God,
we rejoice that You fill our mouths with good things,
and satisfy us in every way.
We praise You, that most of all, You satisfy us with Christ,
the Bread of Life.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Upheld With His Hand

Upheld With His Hand

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Upheld With His Hand

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down:  for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.

Psalm 37:24

How does God uphold ‘the good man’ when he stumbles? There are several concepts to contemplate within this text.  One concept worth considering is that there is the underlying presupposition that ‘the good man’ will, to some degree, fail.  This is utterly consistent with our illustration from yesterday regarding the toddler learning to walk.  Every parent knows that the toddler will inevitably fall while attempting to learn.  The parent understands it and expects it.  Yet when the child falls, it is not a permanent condition.  As someone put it, to FAIL is the First Attempt In Learning.  So, when we stumble in the Christian life, it is not a permanent condition.  Christ is there to uphold us with His hand.  The classic example of this is Peter’s experience when walking on the water.  He was engaging in what was for him, a new experience.  While walking on the water he became distracted and intimidated by the wind and the waves.  He began to sink.  Christ reached out and elevated Peter back to the top of the water.  He took his hand and upheld him. So Christ does with us.  We will indeed fail, but we are not failures.  Christ has led us thus far and upheld us in all our pilgrim pathway.   He will be faithful to continue to uphold us with His hand.

Our Uplifting and Upholding God,
we praise You that You do us good, especially when we fail.
We rejoice that You are ever faithful to us,
and support us by Your Almighty Hand.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
‘He Delights In His Way’

‘He Delights In His Way’

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‘He Delights In His Way’

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.

Psalm 37:23

We are pleased, as parents, with the progress and development of our children.  God is pleased with our progress and development as well.  Our text for today alludes to that pleasure. It declares, ‘He delights in his way.’  Picture the scene where a toddler is learning to walk.  As the child begins there is much standing and wobbling.  Very tentatively, at first there are a few steps.  As the child labors to put one foot in front of the other, the father positions himself as the desired destination.  We could say that the child is ‘choosing’ the path, but the father has set the destination.  All the while, the father speaks words of encouragement to the child.  We hear ‘Good boy!’ or ‘Good girl!’  ‘That’s it! Come on!’  The father is delighted with the child’s progress.  So God takes delight in the ‘steps of a good man’ which He has ordered.  God is conforming us to the image of Christ.  As He does, we come slowly to understand that He has determined both the path and the destination.  All the while, as He brings us along in the steps which He has ordered, He takes delight in our progress.  He shows us Christ, gives us Christ as an example and enables us to see that Christ is the Prize.  He is the perfect Father Who takes pleasure in the progress of His people, whom He has made ‘good’ by free and sovereign grace.

Our Good and Kind God,
we rejoice that You are our desired destination.
We praise You that You encourage us 
every step of our pilgrim pathway,
until we see You Face-to-face.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Not What We Expected

Not What We Expected

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Not What We Expected

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord:  and he delighteth in his way.

Psalm 37:23

Has life ever surprised you?  You find yourself in situations or encountering circumstances and think to yourself, ‘Well, this is not what I expected.’ Probably all of us have thought or perhaps said this from time to time.  Our text says, ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.’  This is a hard concept for us to embrace, especially when we find ourselves in those ‘not what I expected,’ situations.  We see from the scriptures that this has been the common experience of the people of God throughout history.  Abraham did not expect to have to leave his family in Haran and to go out to a land which the Lord promised him.  Joseph did not expect to land in the pit, in Potiphar’s house as a slave, in prison, as one falsely accused; or in the palace as the Prime Minister of Egypt.  Moses did not expect to return to Egypt as the liberator of Israel.  The fisherman of Galilee did not expect to become the disciples of Christ or the Apostles of the New Testament.  Yet over all these personal histories we can write the words, ‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.’  Over all our personal histories we can write that same statement.  Life may occur with many unexpected events, yet God’s plan and purpose in conforming us to the image of Christ has ordained all these things, and will use them for our good and for His glory.

Our Wise and Gracious God,
we rejoice that You rule over all of our affairs.
We praise You that nothing surprises You,
and that You see our end from the beginning.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning
Preparing for Worship

Preparing for Worship

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9:30 am Worship Service

10900 Huron Street

Northglenn, CO

Scripture:  Psalm 37:1-24

Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.   For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.  Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.  Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.  And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.  Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.  For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.  For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.  But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.  The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.  The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.  Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.  A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.  For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.  The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.  They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.  But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.  The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.  For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.  The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.  Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. 

Sermon:  Ordered Steps – Tomm Tice

  1.  How can anyone be, ‘a good man?’
  2. How does God order the steps of ‘a good man?’
  3. How does God delight in the way of ‘a good man?’
  4. How does God uphold ‘a good man’ when he stumbles?

Catechism:  Westminster Shorter Catechism Questions #45

The first commandment is,  Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  Exodus 20:3  Thou shalt have none other gods before me.  Deuteronomy 5:7

Worship

Jesus Thank You

Psalm 100

In Christ Alone

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