Unreliable

5/18/2016

Psalm 78.57 Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow. – Asaph

I’ve remarked before that one of the people I look forward to meeting in Heaven is Asaph, the singer. From what I know, Asaph was on David’s staff as a worship leader – I wonder what our modern US Congress would be like if there was a worship leader on staff who led out each morning with songs of worship and praise over our nation.

That’s what Asaph did – he led his nation in worship at his king’s behest.

The other thing about Asaph was his loyalty to his king; and his loyalty to his God. Asaph was the real deal, and I know that because of what he said in his psalms: Asaph had a dim view of unbelievers (#78 in particular). He said, the people of Israel were as unreliable as a faulty bow. His nation was full of unbelievers.

Imagine you’re in battle (like one of the scenes in countless movies which portray an ancient conflict where two savage armies collide in an epic contest to see who defeats who on a battlefield) and the string on your bow keeps falling off. So, you have to stop and restring it while some enemy combatant is coming at you with a club or sword to do you in. You need to kill him before he kills you, and your stupid bow won’t cooperate. It doesn’t conjure up a pretty sight in my mind. That’s what Asaph was saying in Psalm 78 about his people – they were as unreliable as a faulty bow.

I compare Asaph’s days to our own. It seems these days our country is full of people who are as unreliable as faulty bows. They are reliable in this: they are continually unreliable. Their focus is wrong. Their perception is off. And yet we find them in positions of leadership, and we marvel at their stupidity in decision-making. Their biggest downfall is their incessant reliance upon their own wisdom and cleverness; and continually, they use lies and deception in an attempt to cover up their faultiness. Leadership without God is, at best, men doing what they do best: Mediocre. Unreliable. Faulty.

Where are the Asaph’s of today? Where are the ones today, who like David, “…[shepherd] them with integrity of heart; and lead them with skillful hands?” Lord, help us.

It really isn’t about man’s leadership; it’s about man’s being led with God’s leadership. But that seems too tall an order for the ways of men, in their dogged acceptance of themselves and their deeds. Help us Lord.

It starts with me – it starts with me not settling to be unreliable as a faulty bow. It starts with me and hopefully spreads to those likeminded ones who believe God is the answer to the marveled mediocrity of men.

Today, Lord Jesus, help me to follow You as David did. Help me to have wisdom and integrity as I interact with my fellow men and attempt to help them to come to You. May I be reliable, and may I make a difference in this dull mediocre world we call home… Amen.