Archive for the ‘Psalms-BibleTrekToday’ Category
Scripture reading for July 3rd: Psalms 146-150
The hymn book of the Old Testament concludes with some stirring songs of praise. Life is to be lived in worship to the King! Real joy and peace come from a life centered on the goodness and greatness of God the Creator! Worship is not just singing a few songs at church on Sunday. It is not limited to those who are gifted at singing or dancing. It is a universal duty of everything that has breath!
Psalm 146 begins with a declaration that the psalmist is going to praise the Lord all of his life! He warns us not to put our trust in princes, mortal men who cannot save! What a word for our nation today! Many are caught up in the idea of a President or Governor who can save us! It simply will not happen! They will die and their plans come to nothing! (Psalm 146:3-4) Only the God who created the heaven and earth can save! This God is faithful forever! He can be counted on by the poor, needy, oppressed and hungry! He watches over the alien, widow, and the fatherless! (Psalm 146:7-9) God is the ultimate social worker and will bring help and justice! He reigns forever!
Psalm 147 is a hymn of praise to the Lord for Jerusalem, His holy city and it’s chosen people. God has built up Jerusalem and gathered the exiles of Israel. He has healed them and sends provision. God’s people are to praise and honor Him for His mighty deeds on their behalf! God’s delight is in His people, those who fear Him! (Psalm 147:11) He blesses them and protects them and deserves their worship! (Psalm 147:12-14) He has given them His Word and laws, making them special among all nations! Praise the Lord! (Psalm 147:19-20)
Psalms 148 commends all creation and the saints for their praise of the Lord! Angels praise Him in the heights. The sun, moon and stars praise Him. They should because he commanded and they were created! He named them and set them in place! (Psalm 148:3-6) From the earth, sea creatures and fish, mountains and valleys, animals large and small praise Him! (Psalm 148:7-10) Man, too, praises the Lord! Young and old, men and women, rich and poor all owe Him praise for His splendor is above all His works! (Psalm 148:14)
Psalm 149 is a curious psalm. It calls upon God’s covenant people, Israel, to praise the Lord! They are to dance, sing, and make music with instruments! They are to sing a new song and rejoice, even on their beds! The psalm then shifts from praise of God in their mouths to a double edged sword in their hands! They are to praise the Lord as they inflict vengeance on the nations and peoples who have rebelled against the Lord and rejected His Love! These are under a sentence of death from God! (Psalm 149:6-9) This is the “glory of all His saints.” Wow!
Psalm 150:6 sums it all up and closes the hymnal! “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.”
Scripture reading for July 2nd: Psalms 140-145
Have you ever experienced a prolonged time of sickness or trouble that seemed would not end? Have you felt like God didn’t hear your prayer or wasn’t answering your call? David’s life was one of deep trouble and prolonged times of pursuit by his enemies. Often these enemies were from his own friends or family! His brothers were jealous of him and spoke in a derogatory manner about him. His boss, King Saul, tried to kill him and hunted him mercilessly for a number of years. His own wife, Michal, despised him for dancing before the Ark! His son Absolom tried to take his throne by force and hunted him for a time! David had a habit of prayer that helped him to keep his soul steady and in tune with the Lord. These psalms are written down for us to give us encouragement to pray!
In Psalm 140, David is crying out to the Lord for rescue from evil men. These men have sharp tongues and plot violence and war against him. They would love to trap him and trip him up. David realized that he needed God’s mercy to make it through the battles. He prayed that those who surrounded him would be covered with the trouble that their own lips had caused! (Psalm 140:9) In other words, he wanted them to reap what they sowed! He prayed that they would have burning coals fall upon them and that they would be thrown into the fire and miry pits. He assured himself that the righteous will praise God’s name because God secures justice for the poor and needy!
In Psalm 141 David asked the Lord to come quickly and help him! He asked that his prayer would come before God like incense. The priests would add incense to the burnt offerings to make the smell of the burning meat more fragrant. As they offered the prayers before the golden Altar of Incense in the Holy Place, the incense on the coals would rise in sweet fragrance to the Lord before the veil. In Revelation 8:3-5, John the Apostle sees an angel offering incense with the prayers of the saints on the golden altar before God’s throne. As the prayers and incense ascended, the Angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and hurled it toward the earth producing thunder, lightning, rumblings and an earthquake! David knew the power of prayer and expected God to help him!
As we read this series of psalms, we realize that we are totally dependent on God. He can be depended on! One of the best prayers is found in Psalm 143:10-11. “Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.
Scripture reading for June 30th: Psalms 128-134
“How good and pleasant it is when brother live together in unity! It is like the precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore.” Psalm 133:1-3
I’ve always liked this short psalm. It is one of the next to the last of the songs of ascents and speaks of an important aspect of life in the family and city of God. Living together with others in a state of unity and harmony is not something that comes naturally. Each person has different desires, likes, attitudes, temperaments and ideas of what makes for a peaceful life. Selfishness causes fighting, strife and complaining. Unity is an elusive quality in any home, community, state, or nation. It has been impossible in most!
The psalm states that it is good and pleasant when brothers live together in unity. Jesus picked 12 disciples and they had a hard time keeping peace. They loved to argue and dispute among themselves about who would be the greatest disciple. Two of them got their mother to intercede for them! (Matthew 20:20-23) Jesus taught them that the way to keep peace and unity was to take the lowest place and to serve. At the Last Supper, He took a towel and washed their feet and taught them by example that humility and serving brings unity. (John 13:12-17) Later that same night, Jesus prayed for his disciples. He prayed that they would be kept in complete unity that the world might believe that Jesus was sent by the Father! (John 17:20-23) Unity is an essential quality to spread the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ and God the Father!
The unity of brothers is likened to the anointing of the High Priest. Oil was poured on his head as a symbol of special blessing from above. The oil would flow from the head down to beard and drip onto the collar of the robe. This anointing oil brought the enablement of the Spirit of God to pray and intercede on behalf of the people. Jesus Christ is our High Priest and intercessor! He is anointed of the Father and has prayed for us and is praying for us even now. That anointing to pray and walk in peace flows from our High Priest to us today! What a blessing!
The last analogy is that of dew dropping on Mt. Hermon. Dew is moisture that comes in the cool of the evening on grass, rocks, and trees. It brings refreshing and helps the plant life prepare for another day. Unity is like the dew from heaven refreshing us each evening as we rest in God’s community of unity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Their perfect unity permeates our souls and brings blessing–life forever more!
Scripture reading for June 29th: Psalms 120-127
Today’s reading is a set of psalms that were known as the “songs of ascent”. These were songs sung by pilgrims as they traveled on their three required yearly visits to the temple for the celebrations of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. The pilgrims usually came up the road from Jericho to Jerusalem and experienced an elevation change from 1200 feet below sea level in the Dead Sea and Jericho area to over 2600 feet above sea level in Jerusalem. The climb was difficult for several reasons. It was a dry area with little water and the terrain was rough. It was also an area known to be inhabited by robbers and marauders who would prey on the pilgrims.
The first psalm in this series begins with the pilgrim in a place where he is in distress. He is in a place where he is living among those who hate peace. They are deceitful people and have lying tongues. The lying tongue hates those it hurts! He is far from God’s house and God’s people and realizes his need to call on the Lord and begins his journey to the city of God. This journey may be what you need today, take time to call on the Lord and decide to move towards Him!
Psalm 121 is a favorite psalm of many. I memorized it as a child in Sunday School. As the psalmist begins the journey upward to Jerusalem, his eyes see the hills and he realizes that this journey is impossible in his own strength! The climb is difficult and there are many dangers. He confesses that his help comes from the Lord, who is Maker of heaven and earth. (Psalm 121:2) The Lord will keep him safe and watch over him. God will keep him safe during the hot sun of the daytime and the treachery of the darkness! In fact, God will keep him from all and any harm, not only now but forever! What an encouragement for us today! No matter what obstacle or hazard or mountain of difficulty, God is with us to help us!
The central goal of the journey is Jerusalem, the city of God and God’s covenant community! Psalm 122 is a song that reminds the traveler of the joy that awaits him and his fellow-pilgrims when they arrive. They long to stand in the gates of that city and can actually see themselves there. It’s a city closely compacted, a tight-knit community centered around the temple and worship of the Lord, this Maker of Heaven and Earth! The tribes go up to praise the Lord according to His statutes! (Psalm 122:4) Jerusalem is the city of ‘peace’ and all are encouraged to pray for the peace of the city. In a world where war, hatred, lying and deceitful tongues form the social context of where we live every day, peace is the norm in God’s city. It comes by prayer and consistent seeking. We must maintain that peace by centering on God Himself! Take time today to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to seek it’s prosperity!
Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ! Wow, another day of rest in a long week of activities! We so need the reminder to rest and be refreshed! I pray that you enjoy the best day of the week today!
As I reflect on the readings of this past week, one of the psalms comes immediately to mind. I wanted to write on it, but found nuggets in two other psalms for that day’s reading. The psalm is 118. The very center of the Bible, as far as number of verses, is Psalm 118:8: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man”. This really mirrors the theme of the entire Bible. This chapter occurs between the shortest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 117, and the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119.
This chapter is also the last of a series of psalms called the “Hallel”, which is the Hebrew word for “praise the Lord”! This series from Psalm 111-118 was read during Passover week and Psalm 118 concluded the Passover meal as the final cup was taken and the coming Messiah was anticipated. Jesus most likely would have read this psalm at the last supper with His disciples before He led them out to the Garden of Gethsemane. Let’s think about the words of this prophetic psalm in light of where Jesus would have read it.
The psalm begins with thanks to the Lord for His goodness and love. The psalmist records his anguish of crying out to the Lord and the Lord setting him free. (Psalm 118:5-6) He was convinced that the Lord was with him and that was all the help he would need in this painful situation. The psalmist is surrounded by the nations on every side, but in the name of the Lord he cuts them off. They swarmed around him like bees, but he cut them off again. (Psalm 118:10-12) He was about to fall, but the Lord helped him. He became his strength and song, and ultimately his salvation. The Lord’s right hand is lifted high and does mighty things! (Psalm 118:15-16)
The psalmist next proclaims that he will live and not die, but proclaim what the Lord has done! God had chastened him severely, but not given him over to death. He would proclaim what the Lord had done for him! He cries out to open the gates of righteousness which the righteous may enter and thank the Lord for His goodness and salvation. God, Himself, had become his salvation! The Lord, Himself had done this–what a marvelous sight! (Psalm 118:17-23) The cornerstone that the builders had rejected had become the chief cornerstone!
Psalm 118:24 declares that: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!” The day was that day, beginning with sundown passover until the next evening. That day was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for our sins! He was not given over to death, only chastened severely by the Lord! The gate of righteousness was opened for all who would believe! The Lord did it all! It is marvelous in our eyes! Hallelujah!
Scripture reading for June 27th: Psalm 119
My favorite person to study is God! In order to know Him, I must study His matchless Word! Jesus was the Word made flesh who lived among us. (John 1:14) His Word is truth just as He is the Truth! (John 17:17) His Word is eternal just as He is eternal, without beginning or ending! (Psalm 119:89) (Matthew 24:35) His Word contains all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge just as in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge! (Colossians 2:2-3) His Word is Spirit and Life, bringing God’s Spirit and Life into my inner man and bringing Light to my eyes instead of darkness! (Psalm 119:105) (John 6:63) His Word keeps me from sin and purifies my life, because the Word is righteous and true for all peoples of all time and into eternity! (Psalm 119:11) (John 17:17)
In all but two verses, this psalm uses one of six different terms that refer to the Word of God. These words help us to understand the nature of God’s Word and to honor and respect it and God Himself! The first term is the “law” of the Lord (Psalm 119:1) Laws are unchanging truths written down to know God’s will. Laws are used to judge and to decree acceptable and unacceptable behavior. They are written down to be learned and obeyed! The next word is “statutes” (Psalm 119:2) A statute gives us instruction. They are like laws, but with more wisdom and instruction. “Precepts” is another term used by the psalmist. A precept is a statement of truth that is binding and permanent. God’s precepts are made for obedience! (Psalm 119:4) The next word is “decree”. A decree is a statement of revealed truth about any given subject. God’s decrees are truth to be obeyed! (Psalm 119:5) The next term used is “commands”. Commands are forceful statements used to declare a direction or act that is imperative. Commands possess authority to command action! God is a God with absolute authority whose “Word” is to be respected, heeded, taken into our hearts, and obeyed! (Psalm 119:9, 11) “Promise” is another term used in Psalm 119:38. A promise is something that is decreed to happen or be fulfilled by the giver of the promise! God’s promises are true and trustworthy!
These terms help us to understand the beautiful holiness of God and His matchless Word. In the final chapter of Scripture, an angel tells the Apostle John that his Words are trustworthy and true! (Revelation 22:6) He is further warned against adding to or taking away from the Word given to him! Anyone who tries to change God’s Word is in danger of losing their share in the tree of Life and the Holy City! (Revelation 22:18-19) Let us honor God’s Word every day by reading it, meditating on it, memorizing it, and putting it into daily practice!
Scripture reading for June 26th: Psalms 111-118
We all want the best for our children! As a parent, I will sacrifice for my children that they might fulfill their destiny and become great in the Lord and honor Him. I will do whatever it takes to provide for them, protect them, and instruct them to fulfill their God-given purpose! The readings for today give us the secret of how to secure the blessing of God on our children and see them become ‘mighty in the land’! (Psalm 112:2)
Psalm 111 praises the Lord for His faithfulness and mighty deeds and works on behalf of those who fear and honor Him. God has been gracious and compassionate on those who fear Him. He has provided food for them and kept His covenant! (Psalm 111:4-5) He has given them the land of other nations and shown His great power to His people! (Psalm 111:6) God has provided redemption for His people and given them His holy and awesome name! (Psalm 111:9) These wonderful blessing from God’s gracious character brings a holy fear and respect which is the beginning of all wisdom. Knowing how to live life successfully and having wise understanding flows from the fear of the Lord!
Psalm 112 continues in this same vein of thought. The fear of the Lord is the key to blessing of our offspring! When a man fears the Lord, he finds great delight in God’s Word and commands! He reads and meditates on the Word of God and applies it to his life. The application of truth because of respect and honor for the giver of that truth brings prosperity and success! (Joshua 1:8-9) (Psalm 112:1-3) God’s blessing is on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayers. His face is set against the wicked who do not fear Him and depart from evil! God longs to bless His children and make them mighty in the land. They are made mighty to be a testimony of the goodness and favor on those who fear and respect the One in supreme authority!
Those who fear the Lord will have light even in darkness! Remember the children of Israel had light during the plague of darkness! (Exodus 10:21-23) Those who fear the Lord are generous and give. They conduct their affairs with justice, doing what is fair and right in the sight of God because they fear and respect Him. Because of this, they will never be shaken! (Psalm 112:5-6) They will have no fear of bad news of enemy attack, war, or economic downturn! Why? They are secure in their faith and trust in the Lord, whom they fear and honor! He has promised them victory over their enemies! (Psalm 112:8-10) In the end, the wicked will waste away and come to nothing! Those who trust in the Lord and fear Him will lack nothing!
The bottom line is that the fear of the Lord in my life and yours, if active and visible, will insure a destiny for our children. We must live it out daily, not just on Sunday mornings! It is a way of living and part of the power given us in the Holy Spirit! Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit today!
Scripture reading for June 25th: Psalms 107-110
Psalm 110 is one of David’s psalms that was used by Jesus Christ to confound his adversaries. Jesus was being tested by the teachers of the law to try to prove that he could not be the messiah. To counter their arguments, Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 and attributed it to King David speaking under the power of the Holy Spirit. “The Lord said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” (Psalm 110:1) “David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” (Mark 12:36-37a) Jesus’ question was designed to help these teachers of the law connect with the plain teaching of God’s Word that the messiah would be a son of David as well as his Lord! (2nd Samuel 7:12, 13, 16) This is a hard concept for us to grasp and this psalm has been difficult for some to understand throughout history.
The psalm is a prophetic picture of the messiah who would come from the line of David. This messiah would sit at God’s right hand and rule until the Lord God put all His enemies under His feet. The messiah would be made or declared a priest as well as a ruling king! A priest represents the people before God by intercession and sacrifice. The king was to rule on behalf of God. These offices were not combined in the Old Testament history of God’s people. There was one person in history who was both a priest and a king. His name was Melchizedek. (Genesis 14:18-20) (Hebrews 5:5-10, 6:19-7:28) Melchizedek was the King of Salem (Peace) and a priest of the Most High God. He received tithes from Abraham and blessed Abraham. This descendant of David who was to come would be a priest and king like Melchizedek!
Priests normally did not sit down while at work. This King who was seated at God’s right hand who also was a Priest was invited to sit! He was sitting down, because His work of sacrifice on behalf of the people was completed! (Acts 5:31) (Ephesians 1:20) David was seeing a vision of the throne in heaven following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, who offered His own sinless body as the payment for the sins of the whole world! John the Baptist remarked of Jesus: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus now is interceding for us as a priest before God, seated at His right hand! (Romans 8:34)
This King/Priest is ruling in the midst of His enemies now, waiting for them to bow their knees! (Psalm 11o:2,3) He is marshaling His troops for a day of battle! There is a coming day of wrath where all enemies who have not become one of his troops by bowing their knees will suffer a crushing defeat! (Psalm 110:5-6) This King will judge nations and crush rulers of the earth! He will be refreshed after the battle and exalted as the King of Glory! (Psalm 110:7) Truly, this King is the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of David, David’s Lord!
Scripture reading for June 24th: Psalms 104-106
One of the attributes of God is that He is good! Thankfully, God has been good to me and I have personally experienced that goodness for over 60 years! In these last three psalms, the psalmist reflects on the goodness of God to His people because of who He is. Let’s reflect with this psalmist about God, the greatest subject that the human mind could contemplate!
Psalm 104 begins with the praise of God who wraps Himself with light as a garment! This is the God who is light and in Him is no darkness at all or shadow of turning! This God is clothed in splendor and majesty! (Psalm 104:1-2) He by His great power has stretched out the heavens like a tent canopy and decorated the sky with jewels of light. He is the one who uses the winds as His messengers and the lightening bolts as His servants. (Psalm 104:4) He set the earth on its foundations and formed it’s surface, covering it with water and setting boundaries for that water. He created the plants and animals and the birds of the air and fish of the sea. (Psalm 104:24-25) This majestic God is the source of all food, breath, and life! He is worthy of continual praise for His goodness! (Psalm 104:33-35)
In Psalm 105 God is worshiped for His faithfulness to His covenant with His people! (Psalm 105:8-9) History is filled with the record of God’s miracles and deliverance on behalf of His people. The people of God have been cared for by God’s power and wisdom throughout their history, from saving them from famine through Joseph to the deliverance from Egypt through Moses and the miracles wrought through his hands. God brought the people out of slavery, loaded down with silver and gold. He fed them and watered them on their journey (Psalm 105:37-41). This was because of His promises to Abraham and the covenant that God was faithful to keep! He is worthy of praise!
Psalm 106 begins with a declaration of the goodness and love of God! (Psalm 106:1) This is but an attempt to proclaim what is an infinite subject! God’s goodness is without limit and His love goes from everlasting to everlasting! Now that’s a broad subject! God’s love also includes His loving discipline! God only disciplines those He loves! Some of the judgments recorded here include the wilderness experience where a generation that would not believe died! God dealt with unbelief, rebellion, idolatry, grumbling and disobedience! (Psalm 106: 32-39) God’s people have a history of unfaithfulness, but God has remained faithful! Even when He handed them over to the nations, He heard their cry and because of His great love, he relented! (Psalm 106:44-46) This good and ever-loving God deserves praise from everlasting to everlasting!
Take a moment today to remember God and His faithfulness to you personally. Look back over your life and offer thanks and worship for God’s creation, provision, healing, deliverance and discipline that you have experienced! Remember, we will worship Him for eternity!
Scripture reading for June 23rd: Psalms 98-103
Praise and worship continue today in these psalms of the hymnbook of the nation of Israel and the gift of God to His people, the church. Praise and worship must be in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) We must worship from our spirit man and from a mind renewed with the truth. I have picked Psalms 101 and 103 to draw from today for our devotion. I have used these often in my personal life and in ministering to those in various kinds of troubles.
Psalm 101 praises God for His love and His justice. Both of these character traits work together to bring wholeness or holiness to God’s character. Love without justice is some sentimental emotion that lacks integrity. Justice without love is harsh and bitter. Balanced as they are in God’s character, we can only worship Him and sing praise! This holy fear of God’s justice caused the psalmist to be careful with his life and character. He sought to live a blameless life because he did not know when God might come in judgment. He vowed to keep his eyes from vile things. He knew this would defile his heart. He hated evil and sought to live in truth and surround himself with those who were faithful. He promised to eliminate from his house any who were false or wicked. We would do well to apply these simple standards! I have Psalm 101:3 on my computer to remind me of my need to keep my eyes on what is good!
Psalm 103 begins by praising God for all of His benefits. This psalm comes from the depths of a soul who loves God and is purposely remembering why he must praise Him! First of all God forgives us all of our sins! (Psalm 103:3) He not only forgives our sins, but forgets them and removes them far away! (Psalm 103:12) God also heals all of our diseases and sicknesses! This was true in David’s day as in ours; God does not change! God redeems our life from the pit–a place of destruction and punishment! We must bless Him from the depths of our soul! He also renews our youth and satisfies our desires with good things from His house! We are most blessed! He works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He is full of love and abounds in mercy and compassion. God is like a loving Father and we like his special children. His love promises us that though our life is short and tender, we who fear Him will enjoy that love forever and ever! (Psalm 103:14-17)
This last psalm ends with David exhorting a chorus of angels to praise the Lord. The heavenly hosts are called upon to praise Him as well as all His works in the whole universe! Praise the Lord, O my soul!