Psalm 116:1-2 NASB

I love the LORD, because He hears my voice and my supplications.  Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

Have you ever been ignored?  It hurts, doesn't it?  Though, thankfully, most of us have not suffered to the same degree, because we always have someone else to turn to, being completely ostracized or ignored is similar, emotionally, to the suffering endured by prisoner's of war placed in solitary confinement.  Stories coming out of the Vietnam POW experiences, reveal that a human being can endure a lot of things if they just know someone else is there, even if it's the tapping on the wall by a fellow prisoner in another cell.  The greatest harm done to a human being is to cut him or her off from human touch, or to treat them as if they aren't worth speaking to.  We do better with being demeaned than we do with being ignored.  The one at least acknowledges our presence.  The latter doesn't care.  This is why we can be in a crowd and still feel lonely.  It's the feeling that no one really knows me, nor do they care.  It has been observed that orphans with no human touch do not develop as well as those who are continually held and loved. Now we begin to understand the palmist when he says, "I love the LORD, because He hears my voice and my supplications".  Initially we might think this love is quite self-centered, but, in reality, it's essential to mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. Human beings desperately need someone who hears their voice and gives heed to their needs.  Without this we shrivel up and die.  As God's children, we must be the listening ear to the world around us.  They need to see and feel us with our ear inclined to them, giving them full attention.  This is why we insisted that our children look people in the eye when spoken to.  People do not appreciate being ignored, and rightfully so.  We are all worth more than that.  Like the psalmist, this is what we love the most about God and, if we'll do the same, it's what people would love most about us.  There is no doubt about it, "Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live."  Who wouldn't?  This is something we can always know.  Yes!  I love the LORD, because He hears my voice and my supplications. 

Psalm 111:1a; 112:1a; 113:1a, 9b; 115c; 116:19c; 117a

PRAISE THE LORD!

These particular psalms are a running commentary on reason to praise the Lord, each one declaring with emphasis and expression, "Praise the LORD!"  Without citing each verse, take in the cascade of wonder:

• Great in works
• Great in righteousness
• Great in graciousness
• Great in compassion
• Great in provision
• Great in truth
• Great in justice
• Great in uprightness
• Great in redemption
• Great in blessing
• Great in glory
• Great in name
• Great in lifting
• Great in miracles
• Great in lovingkindness
• Great in help
• Great in protection
• Great in power
• Great in salvation
• Great in bounty

With this knowledge, and with this reality, we can say with the psalmist (115:2-3), "Why should the nations say, 'Where, now, is their God?'  But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases."  And what pleases Him are His children.  God does not come to  us with a tightly closed fist.  He blesses us with open hands, and His hands are good hands.  "May the LORD give you increase, you and your children.  May you be blessed of the LORD, Maker of heaven and earth," (115:14-15).

Psalm 111:10 NASB

The fear (or reverence) of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.

There were always two things Sarah and I concerned ourselves with in the raising of our three daughters.  As we practiced the training disciplines in their lives, we cared both about right action and right attitude.  If we got the right action out of them, but they had a rotten attitude, if not dealt with quickly, seriously and decisively, we knew they had still won with their unsurrendered spirit.  The inner man is the rudder that finally determines the direction of the boat. I felt this so keenly that, if some form of discipline was needed and given for wrong actions, usually ending it by sitting them on their bed to think about it, I would keep the door slightly ajar to watch their attitude.  If I saw a bad attitude, I was immediately back in the room to deal with this problem that went far deeper than wrong actions. We knew that if we didn't win here, that attitude would carry over into other areas of life, and especially in their relationship with God.  They learned early on to regard us, to respect us and to respond to us, and that same spirit is evident in their walk with the Lord.  They are way up the road because they, early on, surrendered their will to Him in a deep reverence.  They serve Him both with their attitude and their actions.  I see them as young women with great wisdom, not because their parents gave this to them, but because they haven't stumbled all over God trying to get to wisdom their own way.  Wisdom is never found by having our own way.  It's found only in humbly, reverently and decisively letting God be God.  This is the beginning of wisdom.  Follow it's course and it will fill your life with sense and sensitivity (I meant this play on words), making you a giant in a world stunted by a spirit that got its own way.

Psalm 127:3-5 NASB

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward.  Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Many times, as I've had the nerve to shop at WalMart, I've been tempted to question our text.  WalMart is an expose of bratty kids, and, in their unbridled show of undiscipline, I have a hard time seeing them as a gift of the LORD.  There is nothing worse than a bratty kid. The scary thing is these kids grow up, and so does undiscipline. The tragedy is, this side, and this sight, of our society is becoming more the norm than the exception. Society pays dearly for this sorry failure, on the part of inept parents, to instill in their children the very underpinnings essential for emotional and social stability.  But, having said all of that, let me quickly state that there is nothing more enjoyable, endearing and encouraging than a well disciplined child. That doesn't mean they're mature, but that they are faithfully and carefully receiving the ingredients essential for maturing into young men and women of character.  Knowing the tone of Scripture, it can only be in this vein that the writer of Psalm 127 would say, "children are a gift of the LORD."  The writer of the Proverbs "warns" us that "Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it."  God has certainly blessed us with the ability to procreate, but that blessing will turn into a curse unless we also take into account God's gift to create; which is that sobering ability and responsibility we have to mold and fashion this child into all God intended our child to be.  As parents, this should be our deep and constant prayer and care.  Sarah and I just spent four days, at Thanksgiving time, with our children and grandchildren.  That included three daughters, three sons-in law, and 7 grandchildren (ranging between 1 week and 11 years of age).  All the while, we were able to say, "Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward."  I say this carefully, knowing that Satan never quits, but, with deep humility, sincerity, and prayerfully, we thank God for parents who gave us three of the most outstanding sons-in-law one could ever ask for.  We know it didn't just happen.  Someone poured into their lives what we now appreciate.  We are thankful for young parents who are giving us the blessing and joy of grandparenting some incredible grandkids.  It's not easy, but they are committed to giving their children loving discipline, and they are slowly but surely reaping what they have sown. We are thankful for the privilege God gave us of raising three of the the most wonderful girls one could ever be privileged to raise.  They have made us proud wherever they go and wherever we go .Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.  How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.  Amen!