Briefing: I have made a few moves in my life. Looking for a new church can be awkward at first. Sometimes you have to go from church to church until you find the one for you.

Dispatch (Assignment): Read Psalm 98.

On the Street: Why all the singing? We went from psalms of being hunted down and being in deep despair to psalms of praise and singing. Sometimes I think we, peace officers, are more comfortable with the bad than the good. We work in an environment where we are trained to function under the stress and the fear of evil, yet we get into a church where everything is clean and nice, people are kind and sincere and we start wiggling in our chairs and looking for the closest exit. We actually start looking like the nervous suspect with eyes darting around looking for a chance to run.

Why is this? We are the good guys, called to fight crime and suppress evil. So why is it that when we get around the very people we guard and protect, we get uncomfortable? I would suggest it is a lack of practice and confidence. It is like kindergartners who go to school for the first time. They cry and don’t want mom or dad to leave them with all these strange people. We know, with a little time and exposure, the kindergartner will get more comfortable and make friends. They will eventually get to the point where they look forward to being around these new friends.

It is okay to make friends outside of law enforcement, it’s actually very healthy. Going a step further, making friends with people who are true believers of God will help you on your spiritual journey. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Just being around other believers can help you on our journey to spiritual maturity.

Back to the psalm at hand, verse 1 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have worked salvation for Him.” Even though this psalm was written hundreds of years before Jesus was born, it speaks to the fact of God working out His plan. Messiah would come to earth and provide salvation for all who will believe Him and call on His name. Isaiah also wrote about this prophecy in Isaiah chapter 53.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn; shout for joy before the Lord, the King.” You can read in these verses that this is a group effort. God desires for His children to come together and worship Him. We were made for community. God does not want us to be loners; He wants us to share our experiences and joy with each other.

I have to laugh when I read the last verse. It is one thing for me to tell you about worshiping with God’s people but it is another when God Himself reminds you that He is looking at, and speaking to you. Verse 9 says, “let them sing before the Lord, for He comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” It is like hearing God say, “remember what I said about my foundation and who I have called to be my workers for justice and righteousness? Now I am calling you to get in the community and worship Me with My other children.” (Chuck’s thoughts, not actual scripture.)

Investigational Resources: Isaiah 53.

Officer Safety Principle: Get involved with a church group. It doesn’t have to be Sunday morning service but get with fellow believers to study and worship God. It is very important.

from Psalms Through the Eyes of a Cop, Volume 2
©by Charles Gilliland. Used by permission.
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