THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH- August 29, 2014 – Day 34 - Psalm 34

Five years ago today I was severely injured when I slid from a roof slamming into the ground shoulder first. The impact broke 12 of my ribs, pulverized my shoulder into tiny pieces, and broke my pelvic bone so that it spread out tearing all the soft tissue in my lower abdomen. My spleen was ruptured and my left lung collapsed. Like Humpty Dumpty, who couldn’t be put back together again, the doctors said I would never return to work again. They said I faced months in a rehab facility. It was bad. But before dialing 911 at the scene, I asked my friend to pray first then call 911. I was met at the hospital by countless brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for me. Throughout my hospitalization my church friends continually came to pray. After only 8 days in intensive care I was moved to a regular room. 3 days later, only 11 days since my accident I went home. 3 months later I went back to work. In 4 months I was lifting weights again. Today I walked 8 miles. I have learned to trust God. In the many nights at home unable to sleep as I slowly got better God taught me to praise Him. Psalm 34 is a psalm of praise.

Psalm 34:1-3
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!

David wrote this when facing extreme danger. How? By prayer and faith in God.

Psalm 34:4-7
I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

The angel of the Lord spoken of here is Lord and King of all, Jesus.

Psalm 34:8-10
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

God protects and provides for those who are His children. Through His Holy Spirit He teaches us how to live.

Psalm 34:11-17
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is there who desires life and loves many days, that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

But in is in the darkest of times when the situation seems hopeless that we grow in faith and we see God’s hand in action.

Psalm 34:18-21
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.

Jesus came to save us and to heal us from the brokenness of sin and to restore us to relationship with Him.

Psalm 34:22
“The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”

Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 28, 2014 - Day 33 - Psalm 33

How do we look our best for God? We begin with praise.  God deserves our very best and when we praise God we are right where He wants us to be. The reasons to praise God are many and Psalm 33 is a good place to start when learning about praise.

Psalm 33:1
“Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.”

Yes, praise befits the upright.

How do we praise Him? One way is with music.

Psalm 33:2-3
“Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.”

It’s ok to be loud when we praise Him with our music.

Why praise God?

Psalm 33:4-7
“For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.”

We praise Him for his just and faithful being. We praise Him for the power and majesty of His Word. God made the heavens and the earth by speaking it into existence.

Psalm 33:8-9
“Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.”

In the past weeks much has been said about ISIS, the terrorist group that is killing Christians and slaughtering children. Some Christians are fearful as rumors fly that they are already here in America. Fear not God’s people. Man’s governments and man’s rebellion against God are futile.

Psalm 33:10
“The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.”

Though America may not be a Christian nation, it is filled with God’s church. The church must stand in faith and in prayer. Our Father has us under His watchful eye.

Psalm 33:11-15
“The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!
The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds.”

The answer is not the Navy Seals, the Marines, or the Army. The answer is not to buy more guns.

Psalm 33:16-17
“The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.”

The answer is faith and trust in our God who created the earth with His spoken Word. The answer is to wait on Him and make Him your shield.

Psalm 33:18-20
“Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waits for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.”

The answer is praise; praise in the midst of a chaotic world. Jesus promised to come back. He will. Praise Him and wait on Him. Hope in Him is a sure thing, so rejoice and be glad. Shine His light.

Psalm 33:21-22
“For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us, even as we hope in you.”

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH- August 27, 2014 - Day 32

The Bible mentions the term the “Fear of the Lord” specifically 30 times and Psalm 111 tells us that is the beginning of wisdom.  Augustine said “The beginning of knowledge is to thyself to be a sinner.”  Psalm 32 teaches us to know we are sinners. Only when we understand the depths of our sin can we grasp the depths of salvation and give Jesus the worship and praise He deserves.

Psalm 32:1-2
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

Failure to come to God with a confessing and repentant heart can literally make us sick, both physically and emotionally.

Psalm 32:3-4
“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.”

David knew all too well about un-confessed sin. He had hidden behind his sin of adultery and murder until his friend brought it to his attention.

But the reason Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son is to teach us of the power of confession and the joy of God’s grace in forgiving us.

Psalm 32:5
“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

We must not wait to seek God’s grace. We must call out to Him now while we are in the age of grace.

Psalm 32:6
“Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him.”

When we live under the covering of His righteousness he becomes our shelter.

Psalm 32:7
“You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.”

Through His Holy Spirit God will teach us how to live and will keep His eye on us.

Psalm 32:8-9
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you.”

Trust in Christ. He is our only true hope. In Him we find joy and then offer Him the praise He is worthy of.

Psalm 32:10-11
“Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!”

Amen!

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH- August 26, 2014 – Day 31 - Psalm 31

It has been said that life is like a roller coaster; it has its ups and downs. Most of would agree and we would add that it also has its twists and turns. We can say with certainty that it can change in a moment. The author of Psalm 31 teaches us how to handle the ever changing events of our lives.

When we first become Born-Again Christians our lives are exciting as we see who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Psalm 31 opens by declaring the Lord to be our refuge and our rock. He is a mighty fortress where our sinfulness is hidden inside of His righteousness.

Jesus quotes verse 5 as His dying words from the cross.

Psalm 31:5
“Into your hand I commit my spirit…”

We make the same cry to God when we surrender our life to Him and die to ourselves for our salvation comes only by that death and then the resurrection of new life.

Psalm 31:5
“Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.”

Yet even though we commit our spirits to Christ by our words we still fall short in our Christian walk. This Psalm speaks of many of the battles we all face.

Psalm 31:6
“I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols, but I trust in the LORD.”

We struggle in relationships with those who don’t share our same commitment to God. Yet, we trust in Him.

Psalm 31:7
“I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, because you have seen my affliction; you have known the distress of my soul…”

We still have affliction in our lives. We are distressed. But Jesus knows this and we take joy in His love for it never changes.

Psalm 31:9-10
“Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief; my soul and my body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away.”

The true Christian grieves over his sin. Unconfessed sin will wear us down, both spiritually and physically.

To add to our misery the world looks at every single little mistake we make as a Christian and they throw it in our face. Often we are ostracized for our desire to be different than the world. It is easy to be become depressed over our shortcomings especially when we have an adversary like Satan who is the master liar. The world plots against us. For some it is a co-worker or neighbor, often even a family member. For others it is a more physical plot such as we see happening by groups such as ISIS who are murdering Christians daily.

But whatever enemy we face the answer is the same. Jesus Christ is our refuge. Psalm 31 reminds me of the great Hymn, Rock of Ages which says “Rock of Ages cleft for me; let me hide myself in Thee.” In the difficult times of trouble we must pray the same things the author prays in this Psalm.

Psalm 31:14-18
“But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!
O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them go silently to Sheol. Let the lying lips be mute, which speak insolently against the righteous in pride and contempt.”

Sing praises to God for He hears the cry of His children even when we fear He does not see.

Psalm 31:21-22
“Blessed be the LORD, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was in a besieged city. I had said in my alarm, "I am cut off from your sight." But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cried to you for help.”

Follow the final words of this Psalm. He is there. He hears and He sees, He knows your affliction and He preserves His faithful children.

Psalm 31:23-24
“Love the LORD, all you his saints! The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the LORD!”

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 25, 2014 – Day 30 - Psalm 30

Jesus still heals. Personally I have experienced healing and personally I have observed healing. Psalm 30 is viewed at by different commentators but as I read through it this morning I believe that the idea of this being written by David after an illness of some sort makes good sense. But in whatever setting you choose to believe this psalm was written in one thing remains clear; God is worthy of our praise.

Psalm 30:1-4
“ I will extol you, O LORD, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit. Sing praises to the LORD, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name.”

It is popular to say God is not angry with you.” But I do not think it Biblical to suggest God is never angry. God hates sin. Proverbs 6:16-19 instructs us that “There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

Yes God gets angry. But His anger is righteous and it is short.

Psalm 30:5
“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”

Whenever we sin we do not please God but He sent Jesus to atone for that sin. Repentance and confession is what restores us to Him because through them the work of Christ is made effective in us.

God will not leave us in the pit. At times affliction and illness may come and it is though them that we often turn back to Him in our pain.

Psalm 30:8-10
“To you, O LORD, I cry, and to the Lord I plead for mercy:
"What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me! O LORD, be my helper!"

Like David, we must cry out for His mercy. We must humble ourselves before Him.

Then we will rise out of the pit, be that pit be depression, illness, or addiction. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). Then we must lift our hands to Him in praise and thanksgiving.

Psalm 30:11-12
“You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 24, 2014 – Day 29 - Psalm 29

Thunderstorms. To many people nothing evokes more fear than a storm at night that lights the sky and seems to literally rock the foundation of their home as the thunder booms. Most horror and mystery movies are set with background of a powerful storm in the dark of the night. Children and dogs often cower in fear as thunderstorms pass by. Psalm 29 is set in the midst of a thunderstorm. For those who reject Christ as Savior and Lord, there is something to fear. But to those who take refuge in Christ, the very voice of God can be heard in the storm.

Psalm 29 is a psalm of praise. How appropriate that David is praising God in a poem about a thunderstorm. David begins with praise.

Psalm 29:1-2

“Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness.”

How can one praise God in the midst of the storms? David provides the simple but true answer. It is because God is right there as the storm unfolds.

Psalm 29:3
“The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters.”

As the rains fall God is over it. He is the God of Glory and He thunders in it.

Psalm 29:4-8
The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon to skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

Storms are powerful and they represent the power of God. Our God is sovereign, all things are held within His power and He retains the sovereign right to break them down if necessary. Notice that it is “The voice of the LORD” which breaks the cedars. His voice makes Lebanon skip, it brings forth flames of fire, and it shakes the wilderness.

There is a great warning to those who reject Him in this life here. The power of true judgment is within His arm. His Word is true and right. The Word of God is as fearful as a thunderstorm to those will do not listen but to the true disciple of Christ, His Word heals as well.

He is God over all. He is lord of both life and death. The question is which will you choose?

Psalm 29:9
“The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

There is no more peaceful time than after a thunderstorm passes. The rain washes away dirt and causes the grass which is burnt out to become green again. I’ve seen days when after a good storm comes though it is as if God has repainted the forest green again.

Psalm 29:10
“The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.”

God is enthroned over the floods that pass through after a storm. And He is enthroned as our king for all eternity.

The next time a powerful storm passes through stop and just watch and listen as God speaks though the thunder. That is His voice you hear. If you are His, fear not for the result of the storm, though maybe will break some things down, it will bring new growth in your life. Praise God during the storm. Enjoy His peace after as you watch the world turn green again.

Psalm 29:11
“May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!”

Amen.

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 23, 2014 – Day 28 - Psalm 28

Hands up, don’t shoot! Hands up don’t shoot! How many times in the past two weeks have we seen that statement on signs or heard people shout that from the streets of Ferguson in protest of a policeman shooting an unarmed black man? Some want justice, others want revenge. But the Bible is clear that the only true justice comes from God and the only one who should be allowed vengeance is Him.

Like we’ve all seen on TV this past week there is enough evil to go around coming from both those who enforce the law and those who break the law. Psalm 28 finds David feeling the same as many of us do. But rather than appeal to man he appeals to God for help.

Psalm 28:1

“To you, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.”

The answer to Ferguson is the same answer as all other problems of our world; the Gospel. Rather than cry out “Hands up, don’t shoot” we must cry out to God asking Him to hear us as we put our hands up.

Psalm 28:2
“Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.”

Like David we must plead with God to empower us to not be fooled by evil men who speak double talk.

Psalm 28:3
“Do not drag me off with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors while evil is in their hearts.”

Psalm 28 is considered an imprecatory psalm, meaning it is a call to call to bring judgment against those who will not respect His law.

Psalm 28:4-5
“Give to them according to their work and according to the evil of their deeds; give to them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward.
Because they do not regard the works of the LORD or the work of his hands, he will tear them down and build them up no more.”

David’s heart is pure in this prayer. He is not being vengeful but is instead showing reverence for God’s Word and God’s ways. He wants God to do the judging. We need to pray for the salvation of all evil men but also we can pray that those who will never accept Christ are dealt with by God. Not by man, for our justice is flawed but by God who is the true judge of all things.

David then brings His praise to God for he knows that God hears and is faithful.

Psalm 28:6-8
“Blessed be the LORD! for he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.”

Then David closes with an intercessory prayer for God’s people.  

Psalm 28:9
“Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.”

Like David we must raise our hands. Unlike the protesters in Ferguson we must raise our hands in complete surrender; surrender to our Lord who is coming back and when He comes back He shall bring justice to the evil of this world. Raise your hands to God today in prayer. Raise them in submission and surrender. Then raise them in praise.

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 22, 2014 – Day 27 - Psalm 27

How to handle fear.

David knew plenty about fear. But he also knew what to do about it. He knew the only answer was his God.

Psalm 27:1
“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
It does not matter how strong our enemies may or how many there are.

Psalm 27:2-3
“When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”

Instead of being paralyzed by fear in the grips of real enemies, David goes to God.

Psalm 27:4-6
“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.”

Cry out to Jesus wherever you are today; whatever you face, make Him your cover.

Psalm 27:7-10
Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek."
Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.

Jesus is always there. When we feel as if we are all alone and facing life by ourselves, the promise of Christ is still true. God promised this to Jacob in the OT in Genesis 28:15
"Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." It is promised again in Hebrews 13:5 where it says again “…he has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Go to Him in prayer and call out to Jesus in faith as David did.

Psalm 27:12-13
“Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence. I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!”

Then comes a very important principle of the Christian life. We must wait on God.

Psalm 27:14
“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

Be strong in Him. Take your courage in Him. Trust in Him. Then waiting on God becomes easier.

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 21, 2014 – Day 26 - Psalm 26

My question today is where do you stand? David ends Psalm 26 by stating he stands on level ground. Integrity is his opening and closing standard.

Psalm 26:1
“Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, And I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.”

These are bold words David speaks to God and after speaking them he takes it a step further.

Psalm 26:2-3
“Examine me, O LORD, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.
For Your loving kindness is before my eyes, And I have walked in Your truth.”

Have you ever asked God to put you to the test? I don’t know about you but I would fail miserably. I do not walk always in His truth. Of course the good news of the Gospel is that only one man actually can make this claim and that is Jesus, who is the way, is the truth, and is the life. (John 14:6) We must, as David says, trust in the Lord without wavering. Yet our Christian life is not just about being justified in God’s eyes so we can go to heaven; it is also about living out our lives as a living testament of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In order to shine His light we need to walk in integrity. David offers some advice on how that can be done.

First of all we need to separate ourselves from wicked people.

Psalm 26:4-5
“I do not sit with deceitful men, Nor will I go with pretenders.
I hate the assembly of evildoers, And I will not sit with the wicked.”

One of the biggest mistakes that new Christians often make is to think that after being born again they can still hang out with their old buddies. This is tough stuff and some of your old friends will cast the aspersion at you that you think yourself better than them. The problem is not that you are too good to hang with them; the problem is you aren’t good enough. Paul nails it down in 1 Corinthians 15:33 saying, “Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." Your growth as a Christian will be hindered if you stay in the same pit you are trying to get out of. But be careful of your attitude here. If you humbly explain that you want to follow Christ instead of the old worldly path, then you can ask your old friends if they would like to join you on a new journey. Most won’t, but it won’t hurt to ask. David speaks about sanctification and subsequent praise for change when we separate from the world.

Psalm 26:6-7
“I shall wash my hands in innocence, And I will go about Your altar, O LORD,
That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving And declare all Your wonders.”

What we need to do is turn from relationships with the world and find a church where we can make new friends; friends who will encourage and come alongside us as we grow in Christ.

Psalm 26:8-10
“O LORD, I love the habitation of Your house And the place where Your glory dwells.
Do not take my soul away along with sinners, Nor my life with men of bloodshed,
In whose hands is a wicked scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.”

David continues to appeal to God for redemption and grace.

Psalm 26:11
“But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; Redeem me, and be gracious to me.”

David makes a conscious decision to walk in integrity. By doing that and then knowing it is only by God’s grace and the power of the Holy Spirit who teaches us all that we need to know and empowers us to do it,  we can stand on level ground in His great assembly. This is how we bless God just as David did.

Psalm 26:12
“My foot stands on a level place; In the congregations I shall bless the LORD.”

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 20, 2014 – Day 25 - Psalm 25

Like David we Christians can sometimes feel like we aren’t sure which way to go. Though our enemies are much different than David’s we are no less fearful and lonely. I know that like me, many of us suffer with depression. The Psalms are a great comfort and a guide to how we can find our way in this hard life.

First we must cry out to God in humble desperation.

Psalm 25:1-2
“To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.”

Satan will remind us how sinful we are and shame can overtake us. But having cried out to God we must wait upon Him as He uses these times to grow us. James instructs us of this saying,
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

David understood this.

Psalm 25:3
“Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.”

Which way do we go? What does God want us to do? So often we struggle wondering why we don’t hear from God. But are we looking for Him? Are we reading His Word and praying for His Holy Spirit to make known to us its truth? David knew that is what he must do. Hear his prayer.

Psalm 25:4-7
“Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.
Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your loving kindnesses, For they have been from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your loving kindness remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD.”

Observe what David asks for. First he asks God to reveal His ways and then teach him God’s path. But first David admits it is salvation that he first must have. Then he waits on God. Then he asks God not to remember His sins and he appeals to God’s mercy and kindness. God sent Jesus so that our sin could be atoned for. Once we confess it then it is done. There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 25:8-11
“Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way.
All the paths of the LORD are loving kindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. For Your name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.”

David offers God worship and praise and seeks humility, for it is those who humble themselves before God who are led to the Promised Land.

David asks a question in verse 12, “Who is the man who fears the Lord?” Hear the answer in Psalm 25:13-15 “His soul will abide in prosperity, And his descendants will inherit the land.
The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.
My eyes are continually toward the LORD, For He will pluck my feet out of the net.”

David continues to cry out to God in prayer.

Psalm 25:16-22
“Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses.
Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins.
Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred.
Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.
Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles.”

But not only does David pray for his own salvation; he prays also for all of Israel.

Lessons learned here:

1. Humble yourself before God.

2. Ask Jesus to forgive you as you confess your sin.

3. Fear God.

4. Let Him teach you the way, show you the path. The Word of God is where those answers are.

5. Wait on God. Keep your eyes upon Jesus. He is there. He will answer.

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 19, 2014 – Day 24 - Psalm 24

One of the first phrases a toddler usually learns to say is “Mine, mine, mine.” An old commercial had a kid declaring boldly, “I want my Ovaltine!” But truthfully we adults are no better, maybe even worse with our selfishness. Our culture is all about me. Newsflash people…it's not really ours.

Psalm 24:1-2
“The earth is the LORD'S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.
For He has founded it upon the seas And established it upon the rivers.”

Even our salvation is not ours it is God’s to give to those He chooses. David in this Psalm asks this question:

“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place?” (Psalm 24:3)

Then David gives the answer in Psalm 24:4
“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully.”

Are your hands clean? Do you have a pure heart? Are you always completely honest?

To those who meet God’s standard of holiness comes this in Psalm 24:5
“He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.”

Psalm 24:6
“This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face—even Jacob. Selah.”

Do you seek the face of Christ?

No one can meet God’s call for holiness. But the good news of the Gospel is that there was one man who could meet that standard. And He has fought the battle for us at Calvary. We must seek His face.

Psalm 24:7
“Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!”

Who is this man called the King of Glory?

Psalm 24:8-10
“Who is the King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates, And lift them up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in! Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah.”

It is Jesus. He came once to bring salvation to those who seek Him. That battle is won. Yet evil still resides upon this earth. He is coming back to fight that one last battle. Jesus, the King of Glory. The King of Glory is standing at your door and knocking.(Revelation 3:20) Will you let Him in?

 

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 18, 2014 – Day 23 - Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd and I am nothing but a dumb sheep.

The Bible describes us, not as wise owls or as strong lions, no it depicts men as sheep. Sheep are dumb animals who without a shepherd to guide them will wander off the path into all kinds of danger and trouble. The 23rd Psalm is probably the most known Bible reading; even many non-disciples of Jesus are familiar with it. The reason for that is we truly are like lost sheep. Isaiah described us just that way in Isaiah 53:6 saying, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” But good news fellow sheep; God has sent us a shepherd.

Psalm 23:1
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. “

Psalm 84:11 gives us a promise that He will withhold no good thing. So whatever it is in your life you are lacking you can trust that if it was good for you right now He would provide it. You and I do not know what is best for ourselves. We are just dumb sheep.

Psalm 23:2
“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”

Sheep tend to get all worked up and they at times need the shepherd to apply pressure on them to make them lie down. Our shepherd will do this too. Sometimes we need an illness to get us to lie down and just have to depend on God. Sometimes we need a little affliction to drives us to a despair which causes us to give up on self and to just rest in Him. Sometimes we need to feel alone and have no choice but to seek Jesus in our loneliness. These are the times when Jesus is allowing us to be pressed down so we will look up for Him. We are just dumb sheep.
Then we when we get settled down a little He leads us to the still waters where we can drink deeply of His love. Jesus speaks to us clearly in John 7:37-38 saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” We dumb sheep need to be led to the water.

Psalm 23:3
“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”
To restore our soul means Jesus brings back our souls. Our sinfulness messes up our minds and emotions, we get ourselves all out of sync. We run to drugs, alcohol, and even often to secular psychology trying to get our souls to feel right again.  But only Jesus can restore our souls and then lead us to the “paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”  First we are saved by His blood then He works on us the rest of our earthly lives to conform us into His likeness.

Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
The world seems scary and if we are not carful our fears and our depression can lead us to be so afraid we become unproductive in our walk. But notice that those who are led by the Great Shepherd merely walk in the valley of the “shadow” of death. Shadows, though they project a scary image cannot hurt you. Without light there are no shadows. Jesus is that light and if there is a shadow then He is also there. But Jesus does not leave us in that valley; He takes us through it. And as He does we can trust that He will use His rod to beat off those wild animals that want to hurt us and His staff will used to keep us on the safe path for like sheep without it we will stray. We are just dumb sheep.

Psalm 23:5
“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
In the midst of our worst enemies Jesus had prepared a safe place to find sustenance. At the table of communion we can sit with Him and eat and drink. As we do see we can remember that His blood has covered our sin and we are safe under that umbrella. The oil He anoints us with is His Holy Spirit who will teach us and guide us in His ways.

Psalm 23:6
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

The word surely here is not a question; it is a word meaning certainly. If you are in the flock of Jesus then this final promise of the 23rd psalm is yours. Take hold of this Psalm and commit it to memory and preach it to yourself every time you get afraid. Preach it to yourself every time you stray off the path. Preach it to yourself every time you go to worship and praise God.
We may be just dumb sheep but we have the Greatest Shepherd of all time leading us to the Promised Land. David knew the truth of this Psalm. Job knew it as he declares this in Job 19:25 “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.”
Maybe you feel as if you have gone too far and there is no hope. Not so my friend. Hear the words of Jesus Himself as he addressed this very concern.

Luke 15:3-7
“So he told them this parable:
"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.'
Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

Are you a dumb sheep? I am. But that’s ok. For I don’t need to find my own way and I do not need to protect myself for “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. “ How about you?

THE PSALMS – A JOURNEY IN WORSHIP AND FAITH - August 17, 2014 - Day 22 – Psalm 22

The reality of Calvary as seen in Psalm 22

 David may have written this Psalm while running from Saul somewhere in the wilderness but clearly as one looks carefully at its words we see in it the work of Christ at Calvary. It opens with the words Jesus uttered at the cross as He faced not only the physical torture of crucifixion, but even worse as He faced a complete and terrible separation between Himself and God the Father as we read in Matthew 27:46. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

Psalm 22 is a prophetic look at the reality of what occurred at Calvary. In it one can find 33 prophecies which were fulfilled there. I suggest that each of us take time to find out what they are for in that alone does scripture prove itself as divine inspiration. But more importantly today I call attention to something more important to our personal application.

What happened on the cross was that Jesus suffered the penalty we deserved. Hear its opening.

Psalm 22:1-2
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”

Without the saving grace of the blood of Christ this is our cry. And the reason is given in verse 3.

Psalm 22:3
“Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.”

Because we are sinners from birth and because God is holy we are separated from Him, dead in our sins. Verse 6 describes us.

Psalm 22:6
“But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.”

But it was actually Jesus who was “scorned by mankind and despised by the people.”

Psalm 22:12-18 describes the things Jesus faced.
“Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet — I can count all my bones— they stare and gloat over me;
they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.”

Satan was there watching Jesus suffer and like a “like a ravening and roaring lion” was licking his chops at the sight of the dying savior. But it was not to be. Satan was defeated by the resurrection.

Psalm 22:24
“For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hidden his face from him, but has heard, when he cried to him.”

To those who know the depths of their own sinfulness because of Calvary new life is available. Jesus is alive and so is His church. In that we rejoice.

Psalm 22:25-31
“From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him. The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD! May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you. For kingship belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth eat and worship; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, even the one who could not keep himself alive. Posterity shall serve him; it shall be told of the Lord to the coming generation; they shall come and proclaim his righteousness to a people yet unborn, that he has done it.”