Archive for the ‘Psalms-BibleTrekToday’ Category

Scripture reading for June 25th: Psalm 107-110

Psalm 109 is one of the Psalms of David where he calls on God to get even with his enemies.  We don’t know what enemy David had in mind, but the attack on him was one of lying and evil speaking against his character.  We can do some very heavy damage with our tongues and the words can go deep and cut at the heart of a person.  David felt these words of hatred surrounding him and bringing false accusations.  (Psalm 109:2-4)  He felt that he had tried to be a true friend, but that he had been betrayed by one whom he had considered a friend.

How is a person to deal with this kind of situation?  The word of God tells us that we can’t “get even” because we are not in a position to judge another person.  All vengeance belongs to God, who alone can repay justly.  David appeals to God to do just that!  He calls for God to send an evil man against him to give him a taste of his own medicine.  He asks that his own prayers would condemn him!  (Psalm 109:6-7)  He even asks that God would not forgive his sins and that his memory be cut off from the earth!  (Psalm 109:14-15) David also asked that this man’s curses come back on him and wrap around him.  (Psalm 109:17-20)

David’s prayer then turns to his own need of grace.  “But you, O Sovereign Lord, deal well with me for your Name’s sake; out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.  For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.” (Psalm 109:21-22)  David knew that God was the only help he could depend on in this crisis.  He was not able to deal with this crisis with physical power or his kingly authority.  God alone was the source of mercy and healing for his wounded heart!  David expressed his faith and confidence in God’s mercy and justice to deliver him!

This psalm reminds us that God is just and will in the end deal justly with all men.  We must wait on the Lord and entrust our vindication to Him.  We need mercy, not judgment!   Jesus Christ taught us to pray for our enemies’ forgiveness instead of their condemnation.  Our new model is “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Scripture reading for June 24th: Psalms 104-106

“Praise the Lord, O my soul.  O Lord my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps Himself in light as with a garment. . .” (Psalm 104:1-2a)

In Psalm 104, the psalmist begins to worship the Lord of creation for who He is.  This psalm mirrors the creation account of Genesis 1 and by careful observation one can find references to all 7 days.  The creation declares the glory and majesty of the Creator.  (Psalm 19)  God not only wrapped Himself in light, but He stretched out the heavens like a tent.  Light marks the sky by day and night and God sets the times and seasons using their consistent motions.

God also formed the earth and it’s atmosphere, making it a place fit for life, and filled it with all forms of life.  The waters of the sea, as well as the land, teem with every kind of creature!  Each creature looks to God for it’s life and provision. (Psalm 104:27)  God faithfully supplies for each one and they are satisfied.  When God takes away their breath, they die and return to the dust.  When God sends His Spirit, they are renewed!  Contemplation of the cycles of life brings one who is conscious of God to worship!

God provides for man especially.  He brings forth “wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart.” (Psalm 104:15)   This verse struck me as more than just physical provisions, although the earth surely brings forth plenteous provision for mankind.  The wine speaks of the blood of Jesus Christ, which is able to purify the heart of man and make him eternally glad!  The oil speaks of the precious gift of the Holy Spirit which is the down payment of heaven, God living in us and revealing His glory through the Spirit’s abiding presence.  The bread represents the body of Jesus Christ, broken for us.  If any man eat this bread, he will live forever!  Praise the Lord for His wonderful provision!

The psalmist concludes his worship poem with these lines: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works. . .I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.  May my meditation be pleasing to Him as I rejoice in the Lord.” (Psalm 104:31,33-34)

Scripture reading for June 23rd: Psalms 98-103

One of the reasons that we praise the Lord is for all He does for us.  When we think of the Lord, we remember all His past blessings and from the depths of our being, praise begins to flow toward His throne!  These benefits are not just in the past, as a part of history, but also continue on into eternity!  They are gifts that keep on giving benefits and blessings.  Truly, “the blessing of the Lord brings wealth and He adds no sorrow to it.” (Proverbs 10:22)

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all of His benefits–who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.” (Psalm 103:2-5)

God’s love gives us what we really need, not just what we think we need.  A primary need for a relationship with God is forgiveness of sin, and all men have sinned.  (Romans 3:23)  Sin brings separation from God.  God is holy and cannot look on sin.  Sin has a penalty set by God–death and ultimately the pit of hell.  (Romans 6:23)  (Revelation 2014-15) God in his mercy offers forgiveness of sins by providing His own Son Jesus Christ to bear our sins on the cross.  Since the penalty of death was paid by Jesus, we by faith can be forgiven freely and justly!  Praise the Lord!

Not only did Jesus Christ redeem us from the penalty of our sins and offer forgiveness, but he also provided for our healing.   “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” (1st Peter 2:23)  That healing is available to all who will humbly receive.  Praise the Lord!

As we contemplate these benefits given by God through His love, our inmost being cries out in thanksgiving and worship!  But it is not just His benefits, but His glorious presence with us that is most precious!  We are being renewed and transformed daily in order to live in that presence for eternity!  We will soar with the eagles! “Praise the Lord  O My soul, and all that is in me, praise His holy Name! ” (Psalm 103:1)

Scripture reading for June 22nd: Psalms 90-97

“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care.” (Psalm 95:6-7)

Worship of God is not passive.  The psalms call for all manner of activity and expression of our adoration and thankfulness to the God who formed the heavens and the earth.  In this psalm, singing for joy, shouting aloud, extolling Him with music, bowing down, an kneeling are all urged as proper expressions for God’s people as they come before their King in worship.  God is viewed as a great Shepherd and His people are the flock that He cares for.  The people know their God and respond to His voice.

Jesus stated plainly that He was the “good Shepherd” and that His sheep know Him and He knows His sheep.  (John 10:11, 14)  Jesus used this analogy to help people understand who He was and their relationship to Him.  He was tying Himself to God the Father through their Old Testament Scriptures.  He also stated that His sheep would know His voice and the voice of a stranger they would not follow.  (John 10:4-5)  The shepherd leads the sheep and calls them to follow Him.  The sheep bond to the one shepherd that they know and respond to him.

“Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.” (Psalm 95:8-9)

This psalm encourages obedience to the voice of the Shepherd and warns of the consequences of disobedience.  The incident in Exodus 17:1-7 when the Israelites quarreled with Moses and doubted God was with them in the desert is cited as a warning.  These Israelites had seen all the miracles God had done for them to bring them out of Egypt, but refused to continue in faith when their water supply grew short!  God became angry with that generation, and they did not enter into God’s rest because of their unbelief!  (Psalms 95:11)

Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd calls out today to all who will listen to His voice:  “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)  Listen today and enter in with active worship!

Scripture reading for June 21st: Psalms 84-89

Mt. Zion was the name given to the holy hill chosen for the temple of God in Jerusalem.  God Himself chose that location to place His Temple and to enthrone His earthly dwelling place.  Mt. Zion in the natural setting is not much as far as a mountain goes.  It is only about 2600 feet in elevation and is surrounded by a small valley.  It was the dwelling place of the ancient Jebusites, whom King David defeated to make Jerusalem, the city of David. Solomon actually built the temple of God there after the passing of David, his father.

What made Mt. Zion special was the God who chose to dwell there.  The Lord loved the gates of Zion!  (Psalm 87:1-2)  He established Zion as His dwelling place.  He chose to set up His throne there.  He is the high and exalted One who is over all the universe!  He has plans for Zion that include His millennial reign for a thousand years and an eternal throne.  He also has a register of the citizens of Zion and it is a requirement of citizenship to be recorded as “born in Zion”.  (Psalm 87:4-6)  The Lord Himself is said to write down this record of being born in Zion.

When Jesus Christ came preaching repentance and the the kingdom of heaven, He was confronted by a Pharisee named Nicodemus.   Jesus told Nicodemus that he must be “born again” to enter the kingdom of heaven.  (John 3:1-8)  When we are “born again”, our names are written the “Lamb’s Book of Life”.  (Revelation 21:26-27)  These verses tell of the entry of those with this record into the holy city.  Being born again into eternal life is recorded by God himself.  Without this record, we may not enter this eternal holy kingdom!

Those who are “born again” by faith in Jesus Christ, have a joy and peace imparted to them.  They love to worship their “Life-giver” and King.  “The Lord will write in the register of the peoples: “This one was born in Zion.”  As they make music they will sing, “All my fountains are in You.” (Psalm 87:6-7)  From Zion’s Throne flows the “river of Life” that will refresh God’s people forever and ever!  (Revelation 22:1-4)

Ho

Dear Friends,

Greetings on this wonderful day of rest and reflection!  What a day to gather with God’s people and celebrate God’s awesome presence, our salvation, and the coming rapture!  The trumpet will sound and God’s people will be caught up to meet Him in the air, and thus we will ever be with the Lord.  These are comforting words!  We should always remember them when we gather with God’s people!

Today, I am thinking about another reason to gather together with each other.  Psalm 78:1-8  tells of passing our values and knowledge of God on to the next generation.  Faith is always only a generation away from extinction!  If we fail to pass the baton of faith to the next generation, who will pass it to our children?  How will they know of God’s power, His wonders, and His mighty acts of deliverance?   How will they have faith to live a life pleasing to God?

God’s people have often neglected to pass on values and God’s law to their children.  The results were always devastating!  Sin leads to death and misery, no other destination!   I have observed that faithful church attendance is a good way to pass values on to the next generation.  That must be coupled with a life that is lived consistently day by day in the power of the Holy Spirit.  God promises to be present with us and help us to live consistently.

We must remember that our flesh tends to be stubborn and rebellious.  It is easy to make excuses and neglect the discipline of weekly church attendance, daily devotions and Bible reading.  We get so busy that our priorities are out of order.  The enemy of our soul also works to keep us from doing those things that promote spiritual health and the passing of values to our children.  He is always out to disrupt that process because he wants to destroy our offspring.

Why not make some new priorities today to regular church attendance and consistent living?  The purpose of that is your own spiritual health and the passing of values to the next generation.  God will honor this and work with you.  You and your offspring will be blessed by your decision!

In His Love, Pastor John

Scripture reading for June 19th: Psalms 78-83

“Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.” (Psalm 80:3,7,19)

The psalmist begins by addressing God as the “Shepherd of Israel”.  (Psalm 80:1)  It is interesting that a shepherd is one of the metaphors used to help the Israelites understand God’s relationship to them.  Lots of the leaders of Israel were shepherds and understood what it meant to care for sheep.  Included in this group were Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David.  Sheep were easily led astray and distracted.  They needed a watchful shepherd to keep an eye on them.  Sheep were easy prey for predators and could quickly be cornered and devoured by wolves or lions for a tasty meal.

The psalmist appeals to God to “make His face shine on them”.  God’s smile and watchful eye was a comfort to those who were under His care.  The Aaronic blessing found in Numbers 6:24-27 was spoken over the Israelites as a covenant blessing reminder of God’s smiling face.  It is God’s presence that brings us confidence and peace in the presence of enemies. God’s smile tells us of His love and mercy and brings hope.

Since sheep are defenseless, they need saving.  The cry for salvation is for the protection from enemies, but goes further than that.  Sheep sometimes turn away from their shepherd and are their own enemy.  They need saved from themselves and their tendency to wander.

“Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand, the son of man you have raised up for yourself.  They will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.” (Psalm 80:17-18)

The psalmist appeals to God for salvation to come through a “son of man” that God would raise up.  This man was at the Father’s right hand.  This could be none other than Jesus Christ!  He is now seated at God’s right hand and is interceding for us.  God raised Him from the dead, that we might be revived to eternal life from our dead state!  All who call on His name, the Name of Jesus, will be saved!  No one who calls on Him will ever be ashamed!  This Jesus is the “Good Shepherd” who can smile on us for eternity and restore us to right relation to God!

Scripture reading for June 18th: Psalms 73-77

“Will the Lord reject forever?  Will He never show His favor again?  Has His unfailing love vanished forever?  Has His promise failed for all time?  Has God forgotten to be merciful?  Has He in anger withheld His compassion?” Psalm 77:7-9

When we are in trouble and seeking the Lord,  it sometimes seems like the heavens are brass and God is nowhere to be found.  The psalmist had been crying out to God and has only questions without answers.  Satan likes to tempt us with suggestions of rejection, vanished mercy and love.  What is a person to do when these negative thoughts assault us?  Do we have a pity party, break out the bottle and drown our sorrows, or throw in the towel?

“Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:  the years of the right hand of the Most High.”  I will remember the deeds of the Lord, yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.  I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.” Psalm 77:10-12

When our minds are renewed by the word of God, we can go back and meditate on God’s past deeds.  God is faithful and has always been faithful to His people.  He has delivered them again and again from situations that looked impossible.  God is able and willing to save and deliver His people when they call on Him.  The psalmist decided to appeal to the years of faithfulness demonstrated by God to His people by remembering miracles and mighty deeds.  As the psalmist meditated, new faith and confidence began to arise in his heart!

“Your ways, O God, are holy.  What god is so great as our God?  You are the God who performs miracles;  you display your power among  the peoples.  With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.” Psalm 77:13-15

God is holy and righteous, performing miracles.  His mighty arm,  Jesus Christ, is the holy and righteous one who came demonstrating God’s mercy and miraculous power.  He will redeem all who come to Him in faith!  He has displayed His mercy and power among all peoples through the cross of Calvary!  The ultimate display of power was raising Jesus from the dead!  Praise the Lord that God has not rejected us, but saved us through His Son!

Scripture reading for June 17th: Psalms 67-72

“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.  Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.” (Psalm 68:19-20)

God, our Savior, is a burden bearer.  We can come to Him each and every day with all of our burdens and troubles and cast them upon Him.  He is honored when His people depend on Him. (Psalm 50:15)  Throughout history, God’s people have come to know and trust God as their only hope of protection and escape from death.  God is the only one with power to save us from death and from eternal separation from Himself.  This separation is the second death, which all men who do not put their trust in God as their Savior and burden bearer will experience.

This “Sovereign Lord” is the King who resides in the sanctuary.  He is moving in a majestic procession lead by singers, musicians and maidens playing tambourines.  The great congregation follows, led by the smallest tribe of Benjamin and the princes of Judah, Zebulun, and Naphtali.  The sanctuary is the temple in Jerusalem; nations are in subjection to the King and they bring Him gifts.  Nations that love war are scattered and humbled. It is plain that the psalmist is talking about God as the ultimate King of Kings who will rule the earth!

“Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, to him who rides the ancient skies above, who thunders with mighty voice.  Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies.  You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people.” Psalm 68:32-35

Worship and singing are the response of God’s people to the power and majesty of their God and King!  He is again pictured as riding the clouds and speaking with His mighty voice that rumbles like thunder!  When God speaks, we are strengthened and empowered by faith to do His will.  Faith praises God for His awesome Person, the daily burden bearer as well as the escape from death.  Christ Jesus is the King who will soon appear on the clouds of heaven!  His mighty voice will thunder, calling His people to life eternal and worship in the heavenly sanctuary!  What a joyous day!

Scripture reading for June 16th: Psalms 60-66

“O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1)

Have you ever been thirsty, so thirsty that you would give anything for a drink of water?  David, the psalmist, was hiding in the desert of Judah.  It was a dry and barren place without much water.  An occasional pool of water could be found in one of the ravines that ran through that wilderness, but not much else was there.  David was thirsty, but his physical thirst was overshadowed by his thirst for God.  His soul and body longed for God’s presence.

David had beheld God’s power and glory in the sanctuary.  We are not told here if this was the tabernacle where the Israelite priests met with God, or if  this was a revelation of the heavenly sanctuary of God that David had enjoyed as he worshiped God.  David loved God and knew that God’s love for him was better than life itself!  (Psalm 63:2-3)  He vowed to worship God as long as he lived and to honor Him.  He knew that worship would satisfy the deepest thirsts and hunger of his soul.

King David meditated on God in the watches of the night.  Darkness brings fears and Satan lurks to steal our sleep and peace.  David trusted God to be his refuge and tower of strength in the night hours.  He confessed that his enemies would be destroyed and all their lies would be silenced!  He worshiped God and rejoiced in His protection and person!

A thirst for God is healthy!  Worship is the satisfaction we express by faith in God as the lover of our soul.  If you are spiritually healthy, you will hunger and thirst for God and will love to worship Him!  Jesus Christ told his followers, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6)  In John 7:37-39, Jesus called the people to come to Him and drink!  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.”