Archive for the ‘Psalms-BibleTrekToday’ Category
Scripture reading for June 15th: Psalms 55-59
Psalm 57 has a note in the title stating that David wrote the psalm when he was hiding in the cave near En Gedi from Saul’s pursuit. David was a young man who was chosen to minister to Saul with the harp. Saul became jealous of David after he slew the Philistine giant, Goliath. Saul’s jealousy provoked him to throw spears at David and seek to kill him. David fled from Saul, but Saul would pursue him like hunting an animal. David and his men were hiding in a cave when Saul came in to relieve himself. David cut off a corner of his robe, but would not kill him. (1st Samuel 24:4-7)
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me.” Psalm 57:1-2. David goes to God for help and safety. He hides in the cave and waits on God. God brings Saul right into the cave and David has opportunity to kill him and is urged by his men to do so. But David leaves revenge to God. He trusts God to fulfill His purpose for him. David has already been anointed as the next king of Israel, but does not reach out his hand to take it.
“I am in the midst of lions; I lie among ravenous beasts–men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords.” (Psalm 57:4) David feels like he is a victim waiting to be eaten by those much stronger than him. The words that have been said have hurt deeply and are eating at his soul.
“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. Psalm 57:7 Early in the morning David chose to worship God with harp and lyre in songs of faith. His worship would sustain him and he spoke strength to his own heart! He promised God to proclaim His goodness and love to the nations. He thanked God for His faithfulness in worship! “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let your glory be over all the earth!” (Psalm 57:5,11)
Scripture reading for June 14th: Psalms 50-54
“The Mighty One, God, The Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. . . .He summons the heavens above and the earth that He may judge His people; “Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” The heavens proclaim His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge.” (Psalm 50:1, 4-6)
God is the Judge of all mankind as well as of every creature under His vast and eternal rule. There is no place on earth where mankind will not be summoned. All those in the heavenly realm will proclaim God’s righteousness for there is none who can oppose the “Mighty One.”
He called before Him those who had made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. These are those who by faith had joined with Him. These must be judged first because judgment must begin with the House of God! (1st Peter 4:17-18) To these faithful, God rebuked them for their attitude in bringing sacrifices. He wanted them to be thankful and honest before Him. (Psalm 50:13-15) He desired that they call on Him in the time of trouble for this was an honor to Him!
“But to the wicked, God says: “What right have you to recite My laws or take My covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.”" (Psalm 50:16)
The wicked were a part of the nation of Israel too. They knew God’s law but refused to keep it. They broke God’s law regularly in spite of knowing God’s righteous decrees. They stole and joined with other thieves. They committed adultery and lied. They slandered their brothers and did evil continually. They thought that because God was silent, He did not see or care! (Psalm 50:21) But God spoke a plain warning to them: “But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face. Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces with none to rescue.” (Psalm 5o:21-22)
Many in the church today could use this warning. There are many doing their own thing and they know better. Some are adulterers and say they love God. Some lie and cheat and claim to belong to Jesus. Some vote for those who kill babies and yet claim to love God. What will happen when the Judge summons you to His throne?
Dear Friends,
Greetings on this Lord’s day, a day of celebration and rejoicing in our glorious King who is coming soon and suddenly for His Bride! The Church is preparing for the greatest day in all of its history! She is putting on spotless garments of Christ’s righteousness and preparing for the trumpet call that will come at an hour unexpected by the lost world. The Bride will be taken to the wedding supper and will experience joy unspeakable and full of Glory as they see Jesus Christ face to face! Oh, what a day that will be!
As I reflect on the readings of this last week, Psalm 49 draws my attention on this day of rest. The psalmist was reflecting on the rich and famous who trusted in their riches rather than in God. When death came to them, whatever wealth or possessions that they had went to others. (Psalm 49:10-11) The man who trusted in himself, his riches and fame had no real hope. They are destined for the grave and destruction. The psalmist spoke of death as “feeding on them”. (Psalm 49:14)
But the psalmist trusted in God. He knew that money could not buy his soul or ransom him from destruction. He trusted in God to redeem him from the grave and death. (Psalm 49:14-15) In fact, the godly will rule over the wicked in the morning of resurrection. The psalmist had resurrection faith and trusted in the mercy and grace of God to redeem him!
Many today live as if money and fame are the main points of life. They neglect God and His people. They make light of His laws and commands to love and worship Him and to love others. They run after the rich and famous and heartily approve of their sayings, even though they are ungodly and vile in God’s sight. The psalmist had a deep understanding of the end of all men. Those who lived for themselves would utterly perish. Those who lived for God would rule in the end forever!
Ask God to give you a clear picture of these truths today as you choose to worship Him and give yourself to obey His Word! The rewards are truly out of this world!
In His Love, Pastor John
Scripture reading for June 12th: Psalm 42-49
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of skillful writer. You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.” Psalm 45:1-2
This psalm is written by the sons of Korah as a wedding song for the King of Israel. It is one of ten “royal” psalms addressing the King, who in reality is God’s son, Jesus Christ! As we look at this psalm, take note of those things that relate to Jesus and go beyond what any earthly king could expect. These first verses tell of one who is the most excellent of men. Jesus Christ, as the second “Adam”, was perfect in every way. His lips were anointed with grace and He spoke as no other man! (Matthew 7:28-29) As the Son of God, He is blessed forever!
“Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.” Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies; let nations fall beneath your feet.“ (Psalm 45:3-5)
Jesus Christ was a humble man who came to us as the “Word of God”. (John 1:1, 14) The sword he wielded was speaking truth that called men to repentance and righteousness. By living a sinless life, He offered Himself for those who had sinned; He was victorious over Satan, death and hell! God’s enemies were destroyed, and ours, too! Jesus Christ is now King of Kings and He will come back riding victorious over all. (Revelation 20:11-16)
“Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: forget your people and your father’s house. The King is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord.” . . .”All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold. In embroidered garments she is led to the King; her virgin companions follow. . .They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the King.” (Psalm 45:10-15)
The King has a bride, the church! They are called out of the world and clothed in royalty! They are led with joy and gladness to the wedding feast in the King’s palace! Oh how blessed they are! (Revelation 19:6-9)
Scripture reading for June 11th: Psalms 36-41
“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in God.” (Psalm 40:1-3)
It is not easy to wait upon the Lord when you are in a slimy pit full of mud and mire. I don’t know about you, but I would want out, and fast! We are not told the location of this pit or exactly how the psalmist got into the pit, but we do know that he had been crying out to the Lord for help and mercy.
From the context of the psalm, David had gotten himself into this pit as a result of troubles and sins that had overtaken him. (Psalm 40:12) His last and only hope was help from God and David asked for that help unashamedly. He confessed that he was poor and needy and asked God to think of him. He confessed the Lord as his help and deliverer. He sought to worship the lord and honor Him by calling on Him for the help he desperately needed. (Psalm 40:17)
The last days will be times of suffering and difficulties for Christians. Some will fall away from the faith and be caught in slimy pits of their own making. This Psalm offers encouragement to us and a simple solution. Call upon the Lord! A simple cry to Him for help brought rescue to King David. God lifted him out of the mud and mire and set his feet upon a rock. He also put a new song in his mouth that lifted praise to God’s throne instead of the cry of misery! As the world watches and sees God’s deliverance, many others will be saved as well. Our trials and slimy pits can be a source of evangelism when we wait patiently and trust wholly in the Lord!
Scripture reading for June 10th: Psalms 31-35
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind, from His dwelling place He watches all who live on the earth, He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” (Psalm 33:12-14)
The nation that the psalmist is talking about is Israel and their God is the Creator of heaven and earth. They became the people of God by His choice of Abraham to begin the nation by a supernatural birth of a son, Isaac. They were known as the “chosen” people. God chose them, they did not necessarily choose him. This nation was God’s inheritance, a people who were to love and serve Him willingly by faith.
God watches over this nation. He sees all of mankind and is able to know everything that they do on the earth from His vantage place in heaven. God knows the thoughts of each person and the plans that they are making. He sees whether or not they have faith or if they are trusting in their own strength. His eyes are particularly attentive to those who fear Him. (Psalm 33:18-19) He will rescue them from death and provide for their needs in difficult times. God’s unfailing love guarantees the safety and provision for those who stay true to Him. His people can rest in His promises.
The thought among many Christians in our country is that America is the nation whose God is the Lord. We want to believe that this is true, but must be sure to remember that God is not partial to nations or political beliefs. He responds only to those who walk by faith in His Son Jesus Christ! The “nation whose God is the Lord” must be a nation that is living for the Lord and fearing Him. When we legalize the killing of our babies and call homosexual behavior an acceptable alternate lifestyle, we are certainly not living as if our God is the Lord! When we promote evil as entertainment and fail to care for our children, God’s favor is not granted. A revival will come in our land when God’s people begin to humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways. God promises to hear from heaven and heal our land.
Scripture reading for June 9th: Psalms 25-30
“The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.” (Psalm 29:3)
God’s voice is powerful and creative. The Psalmist reflects on God speaking during the week of creation. The waters covered the face of the deep and the Spirit of God hovered over the waters. (Genesis 1:2-3) From this setting, God speaks, “Let there be light!” The Psalmist imagines that the voice of the Lord sounded like thunder following a flash of glorious light emanating from God’s presence. This concept came from meditation on the need to ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name! (Psalm 29:1-2)
“The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. (Psalm 29:4-5) God’s powerful and majestic voice brought everything that is visible out of the invisible! No Word of God is without power. His Word goes forth from His mouth and accomplishes His purposes. He can break the tall and lofty cedars of Lebanon, reducing them to sticks by the words of His mouth. His voice inspires worship as we contemplate His power and majesty! We are humbled like those cedars at the sound of His voice.
“The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the Lord shakes the desert; the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.” (Psalm 29:7-8) The thunderstorm is often used in Scripture to depict God on the move. The crash of the thunder following lightning strikes brings fear and awe to man. Suddenly, lightning can strike. When the flash and crash are simultaneous, we know that it struck close! Power was suddenly released that shakes us to our core. These sudden storms would echo through the Desert of Kadesh bringing needed refreshment and nourishing the fragile life there! God’s appearance brings refreshment to his dry people as well!
“And in His temple all cry, “Glory!” The Lord sits enthroned over the flood, the Lord is enthroned forever. The Lord gives strength to His people and blesses His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:8b-11) God’s people respond to God’s voice with their voices raised, “Glory!” All worship the King who is enthroned forever! The worshipers are blessed with peace and strength!
Scripture reading for June 8th: Psalms 19-24
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)
God broadcasts His glory to all who live on the earth. It does not matter what place on earth we live, from the equator to the polar regions. Our understanding is not based on knowing a language, like Greek or Hebrew, for nature declares God’s glory in every language! The beauty and intricacies of creation speak of a Creator who is mighty and powerful. They shout of a Creator who is intelligent and infinitely beyond us in imagination and ability. They tell us of a God of order and precision from the galaxies to the atoms! Creation, if listened to, leads us to wonder and worship!
“The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.” (Psalm 19:7-9)
God has given a second revelation of His glory to each man. This revelation is called the “Law of the Lord”. This Law is perfect and has life-giving ability. This Law is initially written on the heart of every man in his conscience. (Romans 2:14-15) It was given to Moses for God’s chosen people on Mt. Sinai and it came with glory. In the New Covenant, this Law is written not on stone tablets, but on the tablets of human hearts at the new birth. (Hebrews 10:16) This Law enables us to love God totally and love our neighbor as ourselves. It gives joy to the heart and light to our inner man. This Law of love endures forever and is sure and altogether righteous!
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
Scripture reading for June 7th: Psalm 13-18
Life is very fragile and sometimes fleeting. Enemies lurk to trip us up. Sickness and disease strike unexpectedly. Economic fluctuation makes for worry and insecurity. Relationships are sometimes fickle and our friends and close companions betray us, leaving heartache and rejection. God’s people are not immune from these events for they live in the world that has been tainted by sin among people who are born in sin. Thankfully, faith in God gives us revelation knowledge that results in joy in the midst of life’s trials!
“Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”" (Psalm 16:1-2) Prayer has been a help for God’s people from the beginning. Adam and Eve walked with God and had sweet fellowship with Him in the Garden of Eden. The psalmist viewed God as “my Lord”, a personal friend with whom he could converse. This Friend was the only good thing the psalmist could count on! The psalmist also delighted in those saints who also followed God. (Psalm 16:3)
“Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:8-9) God places each person where He desires. Our “cup” is what we have and experience in daily life. In spite of the potential for trouble, the psalmist felt secure drinking his “cup”. He experienced joy and delight from God’s daily provision and was anticipating with delight the future inheritance that he knew was coming from Him! Life within God’s boundaries is delightful!
“I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore, my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.” (Psalm 16:8-10) This psalm is messianic! Jesus Christ put His focus on God and rested secure. He was raised from the dead by God’s power and is now seated at God’s right hand! He is the path of Life! “You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” (Psalm 16:11)
Dear Friends,
Greetings on this wonderful day of rest! We rest in the love and grace of a Savior who died for us and rose again to demonstrate His victory over death! We rest in His protective covering against our enemies and His justice. All who have trusted in Him receive mercy and forgiveness of sin and its penalty. All who are evil will be punished and we will be forever free from the enemy of our soul, Satan and his demons. We rest in His promise of eternal life in a glorified body and will live forever in His presence! What joy and reason to worship!
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1) The Lord of heaven is our Lord! A personal relationship with Him is found in His Son, Jesus Christ! (Psalm 2:7,12) God’s name is majestic, invoking worship and wonder! His glory is above all the wondrous and beautiful heavens!
“From the lips of children and infants, you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” (Psalm 8:2) Children and infants easily praise the Lord without inhibitions. Praise on our lips is fitting for God’s “children”. Through simple and sincere worship, the enemy of our soul is silenced! Satan’s lies and accusations cannot penetrate the connection between God and His praising children! This is one reason why it is so important to be in a worship service with God’s children today!
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.” (Psalm 8:3-5) The vast size and majesty of creation makes man seem insignificant. However, God has created man in His image and likeness. He is crowned with glory and honor. Man has been assigned rulership and dominion over creation and has great responsibility under the Creator! Part of gathering with God’s people is to receive instructions for dominion and to enhance God’s image in us!
“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)
In His Love, Pastor John