Posts Tagged ‘Psalm’

The Apostle Paul acknowledges the existence of anger in followers of Jesus, and warns them in Ephesians 4:26-27, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”

How would allowing anger to linger into the night hours provide a foothold for the devil? Well, our hearts’ desire becomes our tutor as we sleep.

“I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 16:7-8 New King James Version)

“I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:7-8 English Standard Version)

These verses shed some light on a truth, a premise, which the devil may be attempting to latch onto. Apparently, David was aware of a principle that we could all take advantage of in our walk with God. Our hearts instruct us in the night seasons. If we go to bed angry, our heart will reinforce that anger. If we go to bed full of the Peace that surpasses all understanding, our hearts will instruct us in the way of peace.

Luke 6:45 tells us that “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks..”  Just like gravity causes objects to come together, the substance of our hearts affect anyone within earshot of our mouths (including ourselves). How might we insure that our hearts be filled with the abundance of God’s Word? How careful are we being to feed the heart with pure and upright thoughts? What steps are we taking to resolve that we only consume a “healthy heart” diet?

 “You shall not offer anything that has a blemish, for it will not be acceptable for you.” Leviticus 22:20 (ESV)

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (ESV)

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

From the sacrifices stipulated in Leviticus to the words and meditations of our hearts, there is a requirement that what we present is acceptable. Paul’s exhortation to the Roman believers includes a reminder that what we present to God is to be holy, good, acceptable, and perfect. How can we possibly satisfy all of those conditions as we present our lives as a sacrifice to God? WE CANNOT! To be acceptable is only feasible through Jesus Christ. He is truly our Rock and our Redeemer. The Resurrected Christ is the Living Stone, rejected by men, but chosen and precious in the sight of God. The miracle of God’s grace makes it possible for us to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. Praise be to God for He is our LORD and the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls. (Read 1 Peter 2)

“…you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…” 1 Peter 2:5 (ESV)

I love the way David modeled how to respond to dry, wilderness experiences when he penned the 63^rd Psalm. He was either fleeing from Saul, or Absalom, in the wilderness of Judah. David acknowledged how he felt without forgetting to acknowledge God.

“O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow or your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.” (ESV)

There is great comfort in acknowledging that God is our God. There is something consoling in the process of earnestly seeking after our powerful and glorious God. When we remember His steadfast love, everything else (our troubles, our own triumphs, even our life) fades away and we cannot help but release praise from our mouths. Meditating on and clinging to God provides a soothing reassurance that all will be well; He is the One who makes things right.

Reason 2: The word of God brings hope.

” My soul longs for your salvation; I hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:81, ESV)

“You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.” (Psalm 119:114, ESV)

“I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your words.” (Psalm 119:147, ESV)

Psalms 119 is one of my favorite chapters in the bible. It is the longest chapter in the bible and it is the longest sustained meditation and praise of God’s word in the bible. For those of you who struggle with the desire to read the bible, or memorize scripture, or meditate on God’s word, or have never read Psalm 119; I highly commend it to you.

The word of God is hope. It is our hope in the time of trouble, trial, pain, suffering, anxiety, decision making, triumph, joy, weakness and strength. The word of God guards our heart from fainting in times of weakness and satisfies the soul when longing for eternity with Jesus. Time spent in the bible, the word of God is sure to be the best investment of our day. We should be memorizing everyday so that when we are at work, school, around the house, on the phone, in a meeting, driving the car, or on the ferry we are able to depend on the promises of God given in his word. Scripture sustains us, but only when we have it with us. If the word is not with us to sustain us, we will substitute God’s word with something else. It is impractical to open the bible every time you need it. However, memorized scripture is always there when you need it. Memorized scripture never fails, it always strengthens!

In need of more memorized scripture,

Pastor Ray

A phrase began to jump out at me each time I ran across it in my reading of Scripture: “But God…” I noticed that the phrase illuminated a contrast with God’s plans and ways and the world’s plans and ways. I recognized that we could have eliminated the need for the “But God” phrase if we had just begun with God’s perfect plan.

I did a search for the phrase, “But God,” in multiple translations of Scripture and found over eighty examples; each shed light on God’s sovereignty, grace, justice, and mercy. Here are just a few cases in point.

Beginning in Genesis 3, the serpent is questioning, “Did God actually say…” and the woman’s response includes, “But God said.” That should have been enough; the serpent should have been silenced by God’s Word. But he wasn’t.

In Genesis 8, the wickedness of mankind had resulted in a worldwide flood. “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.”

In Genesis 17, Abraham is asking God to consider Ishmael as a solution to the problem of Sarah’s old age and her not being able to produce offspring, “But God said, ‘No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac…”

Genesis 20 finds Abraham attempting to pass Sarah off as his sister in order to protect her. Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah; “But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, ‘Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”

Genesis 50 contains one of the more famous “But God” phrases in Scripture. Joseph is putting his brothers at ease when he explains, “You intended to harm me, But God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Acts contains a few instances of the “But God” phrase concerning Jesus Christ, “But God raised him from the dead.”

Romans 5 states, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

One of my favorite “But God” phrases comes from 1 Corinthians 1:27. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

Hebrews 12:10 declares, “Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; But God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.”

Our sin requires correction. Thank the LORD for all of the “But God” passages, where his will is proclaimed against the backdrop of our need.

During yesterday’s message, Pastor Steve reminded us of God’s heart regarding fear. From Isaiah 41:10 and following, and Isaiah 43, we are reminded that fear is not necessary because God is with us; we don’t have to hold on to anxiety because He is our God, He will strengthen us, He will help us, He will uphold us with His righteous right hand, He has redeemed us, He has called us by name, and we are God’s. Numerous other texts in Scripture confirm that we are not to be people of fear; we are to be people of trust in our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, our LORD.

But there is a legitimate reason to possess fear. John 3:20 states, “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (ESV)  That same verse in the NASB says, “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” Fear is not wrong in this instance, it is just misplaced. Job 28:28 tells us that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and to turn away from evil is understanding. Psalm 111:10 proclaims that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 1:7 says it again, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

It all seems to come down to relationship. If I am right with my Creator, I have no reason to fear because of Him; He becomes my Protector, Sustainer, Savior, and Redeemer. When I am not in relationship with God, the only way to get back in relationship is to fear Him more than any other. Just like a healthy fear of heights may help us to not wander too close to the edge, and a fear of water may prevent us from drowning, fearing God will draw us into a safer place – into the protection of His righteous right hand.

So, church, let us fear God so we don’t have to fear.

Psalm 139 proclaims God’s intimate knowledge of David, the author, and by implication – God’s intimate knowledge of each of His people. The first five verses lay out the facts of God’s involvement in the details of our daily walk and our every thought.

 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

 Depending on your view of God, this could be very intimidating or extremely comforting. Without real relational trust, God’s involvement would be unwelcome and intrusive; but David didn’t perceive God in that way. Verse 6 reveals an attitude of awe and trust.

 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

 Commentary by Tony, Scripture quotes from the NIV.

In David’s awe of God, his LORD, he begins to contemplate the possibility of finding a place outside the watchful protection of God’s hand of guidance.

 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

 David continues to contemplate God’s involvement and knowledge of all of his days – from before conception to “all the days ordained” for him.

 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

Commentary by Tony, Scripture quotes from the NIV.

John 21:25 states that, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” While John speaks of the actions of the LORD, David declares the vastness of the LORD’s thoughts. Even if God had never done one thing His thoughts are “too lofty to attain.” David’s LORD and John’s LORD are the same immeasurable God.

 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

Commentary by Tony, Scripture quotes from the NIV.

I always wonder what the director of music and the congregation of singers thought when the songs of David veered off into angry words against his enemies. Can they relate? Did they also become distracted with life’s anxious cares while trying to lift up praise to their Creator/Designer? I know that I can relate to distraction. My mind is not always trained and focused properly; my thoughts might even stray during times of praise and worship. Verses 19-22 seem a bit out of place; they don’t match the tone of David’s high praise for his LORD. But David knows God well; he knows that “Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.” And so, David doesn’t try to cover up or hide his distraction. The man after God’s own heart demonstrates transparency.

 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

 Commentary by Tony, Scripture quotes from the NIV.