Author: Aaron Hufty

Aaron Hufty is the Associate Pastor for Worship and Music at FBCSA.

Rooted in God

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 62:1-12 (day two)

 He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. V. 2

This psalm is filled with images of God as a strong fortress and tower. If we put our faith and trust in the Lord, we can rest securely in the knowledge that we are under his care and protection. These pictures are a great comfort and remind us of that which is immovable. There is a distinct contrast given at the end of verse three. When our trust and faith is established in anything other than the Lord, it is…

Like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? V. 3b

People will try to convince you that people, institutions, ideologies are solid and trustworthy; but in the end they will result in an unstable grasp of reality. God alone provides the stability and strength that we need. May this be a reminder to all of us that no matter how shiny and new a way of thinking may be, if it is not rooted in God, it is a tottering fence.

 

Lift Your Eyes

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 37:1-40 (day two)

Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2 For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb. V. 1-2

The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

…while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

There is a reality to living in a fallen world that sees others seemingly succeed at the cost of what is good, true, and beautiful. We see unscrupulous people win, get ahead, and live happy lives. This can be discouraging. That this can happen is a reality. We see it in almost every facet of life, even churches. It does reveal something about the believer as well. Where is your focus. I am less likely to be distracted by what other people get, do, or win if I’m not focused on them. The world is not the source of fulfillment or true happiness, and those who put their trust in those things will ultimately receive what they provide. Emptiness. If you find yourself in a state of mind that is discouraged by the world, take a breath and lift your eyes to the only one who can give you life.

Death to Life

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 16:1-11 (day two) 

For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. V. 10-11

We all see the cross standing at the end of this week. It serves as a mark of delineation between the consequences of sin (decay) and the hope of resurrection (life). As we approach Good Friday, it is my prayer that our solemnity is not morose, but filled with wonder. How could someone so pure and good carry the weight of our fallen natures?  It was the only way to give us life. If we truly understood his sacrifice, we wouldn’t be able to look upon the cross at all, but we are called to do just that – to remember the price, to understand the gift. It is a way in which we can point others to lay that weight at the foot of the cross as well. It only makes sense because of his love for us. Aren’t you grateful?

Hyssop

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 51:1–19 (day two)

Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. V. 7

Psalm 51 is incredible. You have likely heard it quoted on multiple occasions, and perhaps recited a few lines yourself. It not only reminds us that we are all broken sinners, but it also tells us that God can and will forgive us from that sin; AND he will continue to use us for his grand purpose. What struck me on my re-reading of this text today was the use of hyssop. Hyssop is a medicinal plant by itself, but has played a much more important role throughout scripture beyond physical healing. David’s reference in Psalm 51 is the use of the plant in a cleansing ritual to remove sin. Because it has a natural ability to absorb liquid, it serves some other purposes as well. Moses used it as a paint brush to paint the doorposts with lamb’s blood in order for the homes of the Israelites to be passed over. This creates a direct connection with Jesus as he is offered vinegar that has been dipped in hyssop. The sacrificed lamb whose blood painted the doorposts is now the sacrifice for all. We no longer need a plant to cleanse us from sin. Jesus’ sacrifice has made that ritual unnecessary. As we approach Holy Week, let us be thankful for God’s continual desire to cleanse us from sin. Let us be grateful for our ability to access that forgiveness, and may we live in a desire to share that forgiveness with others.

Wordless

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 19:1-14 (day two)

There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. V. 3

The language in the psalm is so descriptive that, at first glance, it seems to contradict itself. Depending on your translation, the opening verse states the heavens are telling, declaring, proclaiming. There is a lot of “talking” going on in this verse. It immediately takes a turn to say there is no speech or words. As a kid, I struggled with this verse, and as a professional choral musician I sometimes stumbled when I got to it because, words matter! Professional pride aside, when I examine what I know about myself, I find this verse to be on point. The music of creation is wordless, indeed. When I find myself riding my bike through the greenways of San Antonio during Spring, I am filled with wonder. Nothing need be said; creation declares its creator in a way that words never could. If a picture paints a thousand words, creation is a lexicon in itself. I have found this verse to be true over and over again. When I quiet my heart and marvel at the world God has made, I am refreshed, renewed, and reminded of our incredible Lord. So, as a child of God, created AND redeemed by Jesus, how should our bearing radiate that kind of declaration?

Wonder

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 14:1-7 (day two)

The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God. v. 2

Isn’t it a wonder that God has given to us a curious nature, and a mind that seeks to understand the world? It is this curious nature that often moves the needle of our knowledge of the cosmos, and it is that nature which gets us into theological conundrums. It seems the more we know, the less we rely on God. Let’s be clear, God didn’t make a mistake when he gave us all a sense of wonder. He does ask us to acknowledge him in our limitations, our lack of understanding, and even in the things we do understand. The more we know should not diminish our dependence on God; rather it should reveal to us more of his incredible grace and mercy. Verse two tells us God is searching for those who are humble in their wisdom. May we always seek knowledge and understanding, and may we never cease to marvel at God’s supreme authority.

Songs for the Journey

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 30:1-12 (day two)

For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for a lifetime;
Weeping may last for the night,
But a shout of joy comes in the morning. v. 5

The beauty of the Psalms is that they acknowledge the gamut of the human experience. They give voice to struggles with family, with sin, with conflict and make you feel as though real people wrote and experienced very similar circumstances to your own. They take the veneer off being “religious” and help make the journey of faith a real one. Life is challenging and sin is real. The psalms give us an avenue to express the height and depth of the journey. The more I read the psalms the more I realize they are written for all of us to aid in each challenge and victory. Every step we take, we can use these words to accompany the chapter we are in.

Kingdom Generosity 2.0

Re:Verse passage – Psalm 66:1-20 (day two)

Come and see the works of God,
Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men. v. 5

We have spent the past six weeks talking about stewardship in our series called Kingdom Generosity. I was struck as I re-read the text for today in light of that study. Much of our study was how we were to shepherd the resources given to us. This passage helped me remember that we are generous because God is generous. He has literally given everything to us – including, and, especially, Jesus. What a joy, then, to have the privilege to point people to God’s goodness. Our task is to tell others “Look how awesome God is!” Not a bad assignment.

Knowing Our Heart

Re:Verse passage – Matthew 25:14–30 (day two)

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. v. 14

Before looking at the actions of the three servants, let’s consider the gift that the master gives. What possible reason would he have for giving his wealth to people who serve him? It is a miracle of grace that he would divide his treasure to give to people who are not his family. What is even more incredible when you consider the larger context of this parable is that God, who gives us his creation to steward, knows our hearts. He knows our greed and selfishness. Why would he freely give us these things? Unlike the master in this story, God does want us to be his family. He wants us to flourish in his kingdom. This doesn’t always mean in finances, but it does mean that we share in the inheritance of God the Father. Knowing our hearts, he still gave us Jesus. Isn’t that incredible?

Best Work

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day two)

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. 31 a

When I was in graduate school, our conducting cohort often interacted with different disciplines within the school of music. There was a composition major who was interested in hearing his music performed. He handed the score to our professor and promptly told him “this isn’t my best work.” My professor handed it back to him and said, “when you do your best work, let me know and we will sing it.” There was a time and place for trying out new techniques and arrangements, but the top choral ensemble with limited rehearsal time, wasn’t it.

God didn’t experiment. What we see around us, from the mountains to the valleys, wasn’t a trial run at creation. It was perfect. He made everything, exactly as he desired. When he stopped, he looked and said it was very good. If creation speaks of its creator (Romans 1:20), then it needs to do it well. If God poured himself into his creation to testify to his goodness, then we ought to steward well this gift so that our children can enjoy and give glory to the maker of all things.