A Song for the Climb- Devotion 5

Psalm 123

123 To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!2 Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.4 Our soul has had more than enough
of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.

Ever had burnout?

All journeys reach that stretch called 'lull'.

The beginning of the journey had such strong motivation and direction. Whether it was the draw of beauty or fleeing pain- something made me move.

But each day represents a passing of time and humans tend to forget what we felt like at the beginning.

The older I get, the more the burnout can visit and stay. Perhaps it is a little of a jadedness where I almost see young enthusiasm with a splash of contempt. "So you think you will change the world", you say to that young, excited idealist. "You'll learn."

One of my mentors got a job in a factory when he was a college student to help with tuition and expenses. He was boxing items that had just come off of an assembly line.

He attacked his new job with a passion and boxed, and boxed, and boxed.

At the first break, he experienced the rebuke of the elder worker.

"Slow down, son, you're making us look bad. Besides that, our union contract stipulates that we only do so many an hour."

Is there a way to keep that youthful fire on our path up the hill?

Yes and no.

It would be idealistic to say that you can make that climb without ever feeling fatigue, discouragement, distraction, boredom, listlessness, or depression, or doubt.

But the hard part is not staying in that negative spin cycle.

Is there a route out?

This Psalm holds keys to the principle involved in getting off neutral and re-engaging the pursuit.

1) Eye on the prize. This is such a simple fundamental but we lose our longing for a journey when we take our eyes off the destination.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2

We should fix our eyes on Him and He fixed His eyes on us. It was the prize of winning the redeemed that kept Him going!

But when he (Peter) saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Matthews 14:30

When Peter saw Christ, he fearlessly stepped out on the water. When he took his eyes off Christ, he began to sink.

So this Psalm starts off with our eyes:

To you I lift up my eyes,
O you who are enthroned in the heavens!2 Behold, as the eyes of servants
look to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a maidservant
to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till he has mercy upon us.

Are you fighting depression? Where are your eyes?
Tired of the fight? Where are your eyes?
Feel like you are behind? Where are your eyes?

You know the gospel song: Turn your eyes upon Jesus- look FULL in His wonderful face- and the things on earth will grow strangely dim- in the light of His glorious grace.

2) MERCY-MERCY-MERCY

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
for we have had more than enough of contempt.  Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease,
of the contempt of the proud.

The 1st stanza said- let us look to God and keep looking until He has mercy.

There is a treasure hidden in this 2nd stanza.

If I am honest, I will say that when I get knocked down on the journey it is due to evil and sin. What are my sins that plague me on this upward climb? Selfishness, laziness, anger, greed, envy, idolatry, gluttony..etc.

And I also experience the sin and evil of others: accusations, betrayal, dishonesty, selfishness, criticism, gossip, theft, violence, persecution...etc

Even if I am knocked down by sickness...it is a part of the curse of sin

And there is only cure- MERCY

But mercy is an intersection. If it is to flow to me, it has to flow through me. If I expect it to come to me, it has to also come from me.

Yes- I get aggravated at the God mockers in this world who make my journey difficult. But listen to Scripture:

And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. I Corinthians 6:11 

But for that very reason I (Paul) was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. I Timothy 1:16 

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34

A QUICK PICKER UPPER:

The next time you get down in life and feel ready to chunk it all, try this.

1) PRAY

Lord, I am burned out. Help me take my eyes off myself and look to you.

I am waiting for your mercy, so help me show some mercy.

And then pray for sinners and the downhearted

2) SEE

Look for those who need encouragement or help


3) SERVE

Go and do something for someone else- not even to be noticed. Help someone out.

And I will guarantee that you will take another step with that song in your heart!

A Song for The Climb- Devotion 4

Psalm 122

122 I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!”2 Our feet have been standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem!3 Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together,4 to which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for1 Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the Lord.5 There lthrones for judgment were set,
the thrones of the house of David.6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
“May they be secure who love you!7 Peace be within your nwalls
and security within your towers!”8 For my brothers and companions' sake
I will say, “Peace be within you!”9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good.

Psalm 122 is a reminder that a source of our joy is worship. It has been said that 'without worship, we shrink'.

The longer I try to live this daily goal of an uphill , the more I understand how I have missed and mis-understood worship.

I have blogged before on this fleeting topic:

Arch Bishop of Canterbury- William Temple had this definition of worship:“Worship is the submission of all of our nature to God.It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose.And all this gathered up in adoration is the greatest of human expressions of which we are capable.”

But even this seems mechanical.

Let me write a minute on the nature of worship and then express and obvious problem.

When I catch a bass on a beautiful lake, I often don't see it for what it is- pure worship. My heart leaps at the intersection of beauty and competition, amazement and adventure.

When I am running on a beautiful Fall day and feel the cool breeze and experience the splash of a columbia colored skyline- I experience worship.

I experience a worshipful joy even when Bruce Springsteen inspires me to RISE UP and rebuild the city of ruins. I clutch my fist and echo his sentiment.

I have experienced worship when I confess sin or sit at a sunset.

But herein lies the problem- I'm pointing largely to ascetic responses of emotion that may or may not be true worship.

John 4:24, "God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." 

Is it possible to worship in spirit and not truth? Is it possible to have truth and not spirit?

Let me complicate it further: I was glad when they said to me,

g“Let us go to the house of the Lord!

How many Sunday mornings have I felt that way? Why not more?

I went to Graceland one time. I walked into a time capsule back to the 1970's. Like a stopped clock, the jungle room was once a cool place to hangout, but now seemed so plastic.

I am saddened when I see what the church did to historical sites in the middle east. They would build a sanctuary on top of it. I'm sure it was a monumental architectural achievement in its day- but the covering now seems to hide the beauty of what was real and authentic.

Before I am misunderstood here, I need to make the point clearer. My joy is worship is hampered when I just keep it to the same routine I have been doing for decades. What type of heart preparation am I doing to pull off the shag carpet and trash the plastic?

What am I covering up in man made structures that God wants to let out?

And we need to challenge the corporate body to do the same. You can't control the spirit and truth never changes- but truth is also true from all angles.

Here is a truth. When I take time in my week for personal and corporate worship- I have a better pace and more endurance for the journey.

When I grow weary of worship- I quickly fade in my climb.

I worry that we skip from church to church in some nostalgic reach for the past when what we need is a new forward leaning freshness toward our worship to reclaim the passion that encompasses truth.

And maybe that is what I am climbing to. The Psalm here is a look forward to the TOP of the mountain. I AM GOING TO JERUSALEM! Glad to go- but it will be some work to get there.

At the top of the mountain will be the culmination and climax of all that is lacking in my pitiful attempts to worship.

You may be familiar with C.S. Lewis "Footnote to All Prayers"- I might need to tag this on my worship as well.

 He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow
      When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou,
      And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart
      Symbols (I know) which cannot be the thing Thou art.
      Thus always, taken at their word, all prayers blaspheme
      Worshipping with frail images a folk-lore dream,
      And all men in their praying, self-deceived, address
      The coinage of their own unquiet thoughts, unless
      Thou in magnetic mercy to Thyself divert
      Our arrows, aimed unskilfully, beyond desert;
      And all men are idolators, crying unheard
      To a deaf idol, if Thou take them at their word.

      Take not, O Lord, our literal sense.  Lord, in thy great
      Unbroken speech our limping metaphor translate.

Let me try to summarize this and link it back to the Psalm.

The Psalmist here is excited about the destination. He is going to his city, the Lord's city, and the great temple to worship.

The city not only is under the care of the Lord- it is said to be unified and peaceful.

All of this is a type and shadow.. of both the Savior and the heavenly Jerusalem.

So we should show that same type of excitement and anticipation of our type and shadow... private yes, but primarily corporate worship.

I should prepare myself to enjoy with gladness the worship in a place of unity and peace.

This preparation should not be hindered by style or my distractions or fatigue.

And this gives me inspiration and endurance for the climb. These are small tastes of a city which will stand forever. I wish I were there right now!

A Song for the Climb- Devotion 3

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—    where does my help come from?My help comes from the Lord,    the Maker of heaven and earth.He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel    will neither slumber nor sleep.The Lord watches over you—    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;the sun will not harm you by day,    nor the moon by night.The Lord will keep you from all harm—    he will watch over your life;the Lord will watch over your coming and going    both now and forevermore. Psalm 121

There is something about this Psalm that has always stirred my soul. I first started running longer distances in 1983 and 1984, just as my college football dream was quickly dying. Back then a long run was 2 miles.

Russ Polhemus and Tom Caradine were two mentors who pushed me to increase my physical endurance. I ran with both men, learning to go 3, then 4, then 5 miles at a time. My longest run in those days was a run at Oak Mountain where you went 4 miles UP the mountain and then a record 4 miles down. My joints would ache for days if I tried that now.

But the summer of '84 or '85 was where this Psalm became my running song. We didn't run with IPODS back then. SO I would take a section of this and rep it in my mind.

I differ from Peterson in his analysis of this Psalm, and he may be more right exegetically (not sure of the Hebrew here)- but for me, it was 'as I look at the majesty of the mountains, I know where my help comes from'.

There was so much I didn't know then- I had no clue about the Psalms of Ascent- but I knew that this Psalm was fuel for my climb. As I said it on my way up a big hill, my legs burning, sweat pouring, every breath a struggle- this Psalm surged with energy in my inner man.

You can imagine when I heard the worship song "I Lift My Eyes Up"- how that only deepened my need and love for this message.

So what is it about this hymn that has this amazing impact.

1) It is a strong declaration of trust in the Creator of all things to protect us.

When I first saw the Rocky mountains, it literally took my breath away, and I experienced God's  presence and power at the same time. So when I look up at the mountain of my climb- I am OK because my God made the mountain. Sure it looks impossible, but there is a bigger Helper behind the hurdle.

We are helped when we see God in the struggle, providentially in control, and not only able to help, He is WILLING to help.

2) It is a sweet promise. There are dangers, but the believer has His promise that they will not prevent us from getting home safe and secure.

He promises to watch me with diligence. He is active in keeping me secure.
He is a covering, at all times.
I will not get sun struck or moon struck. I take it as I will not get exhausted or go crazy.
The security is there, but it is also there ALL the time.

3) It is a secure providence. God manages my journey, He plans it, He is the maestro over my daily comings and goings. The larger the sovereignty, the more peaceful the response to all of life.

But I'm about to share a secret.... the content of this Psalm is important, but it is not nearly the whole story of WHY it is such a powerful force.

I believe the rhythm and poetic devices in this Psalm act as a delivery system straight to the soul. That is why the musical form of this unleashes and highlights the message.

A TESTIMONY TO THIS SONG FOR THE CLIMB.

On Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 I was called into a meeting and fired. No need to go into the why's or whether I agree with the decision or not. But unless you have been there (and I have met a lot of people since who have) it is so hard to describe the depth of the pain, shame, and disappointment.

I remember almost tasting the pain as I drove to my wife's office to tell her this life changing news. I was so concerned with what her reaction would be and what impact this would have on my children. My daughter had just a week before committed to a very expensive college and we crunched the numbers and knew we would be living on little, but barely could make it. I was also filled with questions. This school that just fired me was where my daughter was going to graduate from in 5 months, what are we supposed to do with that? A joyous celebration was now dark and muddied.

It was a dark day. I had no clue what I was going to do. That day, a mountain appeared. It was larger than Everest in my mind. It was a mountain of fear and shame, regret and vanity. My guess is that this seems overly dramatic- but this pain was deeper in my soul than I had personally experienced before.

I woke up the next morning- a Friday. I was in my house all alone.

I sat at my computer and I clicked on I-Tunes and pressed a playlist called "Praise and Worship" and then I heard it... "I lift my eyes up..... to the mountains.... where does my help come from? My help comes from You..... Maker of heaven........ Creator of the Earth."

It was a supernatural moment of such force that my life and circumstances changed in a heartbeat.

God was on His throne... what could mere men do to me?
God had seen this coming.... He had me as spiritually strong at that moment as I had been in years.
God was going to see me through this.

Now is the cool part. I almost hate to write this, because it makes you realize what a spiritual wimp I must have been for God to come so quickly to my rescue. I know of many godly men and women who walk dark journeys for months and years after a knock down.

My rescue came in less that 12 hours.

I read the Bible. Made a list of people to call. Went for a run listening to that same playlist (which became my song list/routine for months) and when I got back I received a phone call.

It was a generous job offer. Not only an offer, but a request that I NOT take it immediately. This amazing man, with a heart of compassion I had not experienced in a very long time, told me to put his offer in my back pocket, pray, search out all the opportunities before me, and just let him know before March or April if I wanted it. He wanted me to come only if God led me to that decision.

Now, every time I read Psalm 121 or hear the praise song, I get chills and sometimes I cry. These were not just words, this is HIS WORD of promise.

Do you see where this journey is headed? 

We get kicked to the ground in a myriad of ways.

We want to lay there in defeat, but we get up.

We see the mountain and it looks overwhelming.

But GOD is bigger than that mountain and He made that mountain.

He will see you through.

And so you climb a little more up the path today.

My hope is that You get to experience Him in this way as well and keep your song for the climb handy!

I did take that job and it has been amazing to see that God knew what He was doing. I still am walking through some things including forgiveness, but I find myself getting stronger and healthier day by day.

My wife and children have been very well cared for. Thank you Lord!

This is not to say that a mountain may appear again soon- but I know where my help comes from!

    

A Song For the Climb- Devotion 2

You have to start with the mental image of yesterday. Broken and bruised, bloodied and weary- you have to make a choice.

THE CRY OF THE HEART

Psalm 120 begins with the most honest prayer we can ever utter:

 I’m in trouble. I cry to God,
    desperate for an answer:

Have you ever been there? Eugene Peterson labels this Psalm "Repentance" which is a fundamental piece of any real change. Even our introduction to the Kingdom of Christ is born out of true repentance and true saving faith. The reason I add 'true' is that we can be fooled by our emotions and deceived by self rationalization. "True" means from God, and bears fruit of the substance of that repentance and faith, albeit over time and through trial.

When we say to God, either for the first time as a cry for salvation, or frequent other times as a believer as a cry for rescue- "Help me, I'm at my end"- it is a heart breaking but beautiful moment. Things are about to get real.

This is why Jesus cries out in Matthew 5- "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven"- And the reality is this- All real change begins with pain or disillusionment. But the pain needs to drive us to the source of our help, and it is not found in us, nor the world, nor our 'friends', not even our family or church- the source of this is the Almighty God, King of All, and the Supreme Lover of Your Soul.

Now... I hate that I have to get to this point over and over. But I have to say this prayer WAY MORE than I should. But it is a reality. 

I say with the Apostle Paul in Romans 7- "For I know that nothing good dwells in me".

Peterson drives it home this way:

A person has to be thoroughly disgusted with the way things are to find the motivation to set out on the Christian way. As long as we think the next election might eliminate crime and establish justice or another scientific breakthrough might save the environment or another pay raise might push us over the edge of anxiety into a life of tranquility, we are not likely to risk the anxious uncertainties of the life of faith.

So where are you? Are you tired of seeing that same person in the mirror day after day, a victim of your own bed of circumstances? How long are you going to believe in that idol that drops you time and time again? Do you still have hope that those people will come through? That that job will matter? That that trip will fulfill? That that program will produce?

When we fall down and finally say, "Lord, I'm in trouble" then the journey can really begin. And unfortunately it 'begins again' time and time again. But the Lord is too good to not hear the true cry of His child.

REALIZING THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION- PEOPLE

“Deliver me from the liars, God!
    They smile so sweetly but lie through their teeth.” Psalm 120 vs 3

This is so hard to write about. The premise of the hit TV show, House is "All people lie". I have to reluctantly say...'True!' and that means I am guilty. Some lies are more subtle than others. Broken promises hurt. The spreading of untrue or inaccurate gossip wounds. Betrayal and infidelity are consistent piles of rubbish in the wake of human interactions.

But again- though the pain be real, the reality is a useful tool. Because in brilliant juxtaposition is the COVENANT KEEPING GOD. Jehovah never breaks His promise, even to the point of suffering and death. It males Him hard to deal with because He is a 'man of His word'- but it means that He is trustworthy when all men are not.

REALIZING THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION- DESTINY

Do you know what’s next, can you see what’s coming,
    all you barefaced liars?
Pointed arrows and burning coals
    will be your reward.

The Psalmist here drips with anger. Real hurt brings raw reaction. I am not sure it is healthy, but it is reality. The key is what to do with the anger.

I read a facebook post the other day that said:

No need for revenge - Just sit back and wait...those that hurt you will eventually screw up all by themselves ...and if you are lucky, God will let you watch.

Remember, we are in step 1 of a change. Hopefully, in time the anger will be harnessed under  the streams of grace. But the Psalms are always so true to real life existence.

I still laugh at how anger fueled my drive to train and complete a marathon. I remember completing one training run from mile 8 to 15 with ease because my pumping arms were fiery fists of fury. To this day I am amazed at the depth of that hurt and anger... now tempered and  restrained. And I don't exercise nearly as well.

But I also need to know that I too have caused hurt that results in that type of hurt and anger. Mostly unintentional... but at times with full knowledge of my wrong.

The good news of the gospel must always be in line with the bad news as well. It is clearly here. THERE WILL BE UNSPEAKABLE PUNISHMENT by the Just and Holy God of the Universe.

It is contained even in the most beautiful proclamation of grace in the Bible:

For God so loved the world, that He sent His only begotten Son. That whoever believes in Him SHOULD NOT PERISH, but have eternal life. John 3:16

This REALIZATION is two fold:

1)There are bad people who will not ever repent and grow colder and bolder. These are the liars and mockers. Wolves in sheep's clothing. Men of evil intents and iniquity. Manipulation and deceit. Insatiable selfishness. Shakespeare said: "He will speak more in a minute than he will stand to in a month".

These men will have to drink the fury of God's Holy wrath to the last drop for all eternity.

He will not back down from that promise either. And the 2nd realization is.......

2) There are bad people who come to/or brought to their senses and they desperately cry out for mercy. They SEE the Lamb of God who was slain and fall down in awe of what was done. HE drank the cup of that fury and wrath.

Because this is true- why stay in the mud of depression? Get up and walk uphill in praise to this King of Grace! Bring someone with you along the way! Proclaim this all who will hear. Leave this broken place behind!

REALIZING THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION- The Path Upward and Onward

 I’m doomed to live in Meshech,
    cursed with a home in Kedar,
My whole life lived camping
    among quarreling neighbors.
I’m all for peace, but the minute
    I tell them so, they go to war!

I like how this Psalm closes because it is a daily dose of reality that keeps me from going back to where I was. In fact, I love that this Psalm closes with Kedar and the next Psalm opens in worship.

The reference to Meshech and Kedar are parallel analogies to nomadic wandering in barren places. We walk dust trails in the remote outposts of a cursed land.

Do you want to stay in the valley of your little pity party? There is nothing here for you.

No ... cast your eyes to the mountain. The upward journey that ends in an eternity of no more tears and no more pain and freedom from regret and shame.

You will not find peace here. Your job, marriage, stock portfolio, or weekend activities will not be without thorns and mosquitoes!

You are a pilgrim... a royal ambassador... but serving in a place that is not your ultimate home. Enjoy the journey, but never be in anything but a tent. Even your body is a temporary structure.

For we know that if kthe tent that is lour earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, ma house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent nwe groan, longing to oput on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on1 we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal pmay be swallowed up by life.5 He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, qwho has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
6 So we are always of good courage. We know that rwhile we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord,7 for swe walk by faith, not tby sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we uwould rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to vplease him. 10 For wwe must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, xso that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.    2 Corinthians 5

So this first song for the journey is a song of pain that leads to repentance. No one really likes sad songs, but they are representative of real life.

My sad songs help me REMEMBER where I was and motivate me to never want to return.

Thank you God for hearing my desperate cry for help! Time to move on.........

A Song for the Climb- Devotion 1

I wanted to finish the year with devotionals tied to an amazing book by Eugene H. Peterson, "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society". I have been through this book twice now and have to place it among the most inspirational devotional commentaries I have ever read.

You have to give most of the credit to the Scripture- the Psalms of Ascent (120-134), especially in the translation of The Message, are powerful. If you ever feel betrayed, or lonely, or worn out in your spiritual walk- these passages are like adrenaline, vitamins, and new vigor.

So I will take some time to reflect on these great pages of soul stirring food.

Chapter 1 begins with a question, straight out of Jeremiah 12:5. "If you're worn out in this footrace with men, what makes you think you can race against horses?"

Exasperation, feeling defeated and overwhelmed, experiencing doubt and thinking about quitting is a place that I have known and experienced in very tangible ways.

For me to get there is rather surprising. If you knew me, especially in my youth, you would see me as an atomic fireball with an ability to see it and seize it. Winning was natural, overcoming obstacles a joy, and my attitude was beyond positive.

But I now know that life will wear on anyone. And left to my own strength and talent, it didn't take long to find myself in pits of my own doing, spiraling downhill in defeat and destruction.

It is in those moments where you find out what is of real substance and what is idealistic vapor fumes.

I learned a lot about winning in athletics, but I never had to deal with losing. So when I found myself laying in a mud packed ground of depression and loss, it was a rather new experience.

It feels good to lay there for a while. I mean, I have an excuse: "Look what injustice I have received, look at this crummy world system, I TRIED MY BEST!" And so I would lay there, caked in mud and blood, close my eyes and hope that it would all magically go away. But it never does.

I would play Rocky and get up for a few good swings and then dramatically throw myself down, hoping to draw someone to my attention. But no human comes in those times; or, if they do, they only enable or condemn.

So what can we do?

Conventional wisdom would say DO NOT LOOK UP TO THE DESTINATION OR YOU MAY GIVE UP BECAUSE IT IS SO FAR OUT OF REACH. But we can't help but do that. I look up at the top of the mountain and realize how far deep in the swamp I have sunk. But to say "Don't look at the ideal standard or prize" is unrealistic and promotes mediocrity.

I think we also tend to try and reason WHY we failed. But this doesn't necessarily help. There is no program or strategy to keep me getting up. If I add it up as A+B= C,  I might think I can do it on my own or I will have convenient excuses as to why I am just laying in the muck.

What I have found most helpful is not worrying about a win or a loss. I am asked to do 2 things- (1) Get up and (2) Don't give up.

There is a familiar quote: It matters not if we try and fail AND try and fail again. What matters is if we try and fail and fail to try again.

 And I will never do even one of those things unless I realize that I am powerless to do either on my own.

Peterson explains the problem in chapter 1. THE WORLD IS NO FRIEND TO GRACE. To live as a disciple of Jesus Christ is to understand that this is a walk that is hostile to the environment around you. You are hostile to it and it is hostile to you.

An adopted son of the King is an enemy to a culture where Isaiah writes that 'fools are called noble and scoundrels are said to be honorable'. I have quoted G.K. Beale a number of times- "Worldliness is what any culture does to make sin seem normal and righteousness seem strange."

Now, I need to make a HUGE distinction here. The winning edge is not just getting up and not giving up (my definition of discipleship). The winning edge is to get up and walk in a spirit of compassion, hope, love, humility, joy, gentleness, peace, etc.

You have to know the 'Myth of Sisyphis' written by Camus to understand why the distinction matters. The heart of existentialism was a rugged rebellion- a massive middle finger at the gods for the lot that Sisyphis found himself in as he rolled that rock up the hill over and over. In this rebel's heart he had won! Camus writes:

I leave Sisyphus at the foot of the mountain! One always finds one's burden again. But Sisyphus teaches the higher fidelity that negates the gods and raises rocks. He too concludes that all is well. This universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone, each mineral flake of that night-filled mountain, in itself forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.

If we look at the general scope of the American church, we have to agree with that win. A godless tenacity to keep plodding on with no real hope in sight accomplishes more than a believer who passively has given up the charge and remains on the ground with his eyes closed.

SO how do we do this? Where does the power come from to get up and dream again?

It starts with a realization that this is a process of decades and not days.

Peterson explains: "The biggest disservice of our rapid paced society is the illusion that meaningful treasures can be attained in microwave moments."

So this book is a goal and it is a help for the journey and it is a hope for the journey- as perilous as it may seem.

The Goal:
I am marching uphill to the Holy Mountain of Zion with a song in my heart and joy in my spirit because I am loved by the King of the Universe. All I need to care for is this day's walk. May I be found obedient today. I start my day with a gospel help: "I am crucified with Christ" and I will end the day with a gospel hope: "There is therefore now no condemnation in Christ Jesus."

Here is how Paul said it in Phillipians 3:

7 But awhatever gain I had, bI counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of cthe surpassing worth of dknowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I ehave suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having fa righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but gthat which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—10 hthat I may know him and ithe power of his resurrection, and jmay share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may kattain the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already lobtained this or mam already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: nforgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for othe prize of the upward pcall of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are qmature think this way, and if in anything ryou think otherwise, sGod will reveal that also to you. 16 Only tlet us hold true to what we have attained.
17 Brothers, ujoin in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk vaccording to the example you have in us. 18 For wmany, of whom I have often told you and now tell you xeven with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 yTheir end is destruction, ztheir god is their belly, and athey glory in their shame, with bminds set on earthly things. 20 But cour citizenship is in heaven, and dfrom it we eawait a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform four lowly body gto be like his glorious body, hby the power that enables him even ito subject all things to himself.

As we go through the content of the Psalms of Ascent- may we find joy in the journey TODAY!