Tag: Bible Study

Uphold My Life (Psalm 54)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 54

1 To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength. 2 Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. 3 For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Selah 4 Behold, God [is] my helper; The Lord [is] with those who uphold my life. 5 He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. 6 I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for [it is] good. 7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen [its desire] upon my enemies.

PSALM 54:1-7

UPHOLD MY LIFE

I once had a vehicle break down at the beach and waited an hour to get a tow truck and spent an hour talking to the driver. The next week, miles away in another town, I had a malfunction on another vehicle. The same tow truck driver came in a different tow truck for a different company and picked me up. I don’t believe in coincidences and sensing God was up to something so I asked the driver more pressing questions about what was going on in his life. Sure enough, God was already at work in a situation and this man needed a pastor to listen and encourage him in his faith journey. At the end of the conversation I shared that I thought God had put me in his path that day for a reason. He had admitted that he had almost forgotten that he had prayed a prayer of desperation a few weeks ago and God had put me in his path twice!!! I prayed over him and we both parted company very encouraged knowing that God had heard his prayers and placed a pastor in his path to encourage him and help him.

This Psalm is David’s prayer to God asking to be vindicated from that harm that someone has done him. He asks God to hear his prayer, then he remembers that God has helped him in a million ways all along the way (so surely he won’t abandon him to his enemy now), and so his heart erupts in gratitude for the goodness and grace of God. Even in his prayer for justice David finds reason to rejoice because of God’s holy character.

Sometimes we forget just how far the Lord has taken us. We need to stop and see just where he has been working in our lives. David noted that God had helped him all along the way. I am often amazed at how I see God orchestrating my steps along the way as well. I know that I’m in good hands when I am in God’s hands and that should provoke us to praise.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for the millions of things you are actively doing in and around me. With David I can confess that you have held me up. You have been at work in my life and the lives of those around me. Thank you for hearing my prayer and answering so many times before I could even think to say amen. Help me to walk into this day with gratitude and grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Same Song, Different Tune (Psalm 53)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 53

[Psa 53:1-6 NKJV] 1 To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A Contemplation of David. The fool has said in his heart, “[There is] no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; [There is] none who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are [any] who understand, who seek God. 3 Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; [There is] none who does good, No, not one. 4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people [as] they eat bread, And do not call upon God? 5 There they are in great fear [Where] no fear was, For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; You have put [them] to shame, Because God has despised them. 6 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice [and] Israel be glad.

PSALM 53:1-7

SAME SONG, DIFFERENT TUNE

We had a pick your favorite hymn night the other night in church. Folks were glancing through their hymnals to call out songs for us to sing. I had one in mind (Come Thou Fount) and while I glanced through the hymnal I noticed two hymns with the same name; both sets of words started the same but there were some slight differences and one version had a whole extra chorus.

Remember Psalm 14? Most of this Psalm is repeated there. There are a few notable changes. 1. David gives the music director the “tune” to which this song is to be sung. 2. In Psalm 14, the name LORD (all caps, the English way of noting God’s divine personal name) is used, where as in Psalm 53 He is referred to as God (a less personal term). 3. Verse 5 is different.

So what do these changes tell us? It’s quite literally almost the same song, just a different tune. I guess in a very literal way there will be some folks who are fools and deny the existence of God either by their lips of their lives. Some perhaps will deny the personal God of the Bible and others have a beef with the idea of God in general, but they are both fools and they are both missing the richness of understanding the world as a work of it’s personal creator. Its the same song, just a different tune.

One of the biggest things that those who have no regard for even a general sense of God will face is a blinding anxiety. Without hope of God in this world, their actions will be driven by fear rather than faith. Their worldview will tend to peter towards the hopeless rather than the hope offered in a creator and sustainer. They will have no sense of purpose or place and so they will purpose to do things in their own heart that may drive them against the very purpose for which they were created. Similar to that guy we looked at yesterday who used his voice to demean God’s servant rather than reflect God’s glory.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you have revealed yourself in your creation, in your word, in Jesus Christ, through your church, and by your Holy Spirit. You are not without witness in my life. I am grateful for the abundance of evidence there is not only for your existence, but for the purpose of life, even my life. I pray that I would have the benefit and grace to point others to you today. I ask that you would open the eyes of the blind who cannot see you and will not see you apart from your sovereign grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

A Cheater Cheats Himself The Most (Psalm 52)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 52

1 To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God [endures] continually. 2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah 4 You love all devouring words, [You] deceitful tongue. 5 God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of [your] dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah 6 The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, [saying], 7 “Here is the man [who] did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, [And] strengthened himself in his wickedness.” 8 But I [am] like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 9 I will praise You forever, Because You have done [it]; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for [it is] good.

PSALM 52:1-9

A CHEATER CHEATS HIMSELF THE MOST

Have you ever tried to play golf with someone who constantly would cheat? If your back was turned they were happy to throw their ball further down the fairway or onto the green and toss yours into the woods. It really takes the joy out of the game because they have tried to skew your efforts to make you worse than you are and their efforts to make themselves better than they are. Indeed they are cheating everyone!

In life we find folks like that. Sometimes they are at your work reporting to your boss every success you’ve had as if it were theirs and every failure they’ve had as if it were yours. They plot and scheme and hope to some how get ahead by all of their plotting.

David had a guy like that in his life. His name was Deog the Edomite. He had no use for David other than to betray him, tattle on him, and belittle him in the eyes of Saul. His sharp tongue caused David much pain and perplexity.

David meditates on his situation and he notes that Doeg is playing a short-term game. Doeg thinks he will advance himself somehow in Saul’s regime. He thinks he is winning the day, but David notes that his schemes will only bring about his own destruction. David is playing the long game. He is trusting God. He is acting with integrity. He doesn’t opt for what is easy, convenient, or practical. He is opting instead to honor God in everything and in doing so, God will honor him with all that he has already promised.

My takeaway from today’s psalm was to trust God and live righteously even when someone antagonizes you, slanders you, or speaks evil against you. I also am asking God to search my heart for those traits. It’s easy to deceive ourselves into thinking we are acting justly when we are just marching to our own party lines instead of looking to the Lord to lead.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you see all and know all. I ask you to search my heart and see. I pray that I am never a Doeg in someone else’s life. I don’t want to be inclined to deception and I certainly don’t want to deceive myself. I trust in you and your promises. Please keep my feet firmly placed on the foundation of Christ Jesus. Please work out your salvation in me to will and to do and to honor you in all things. I pray that I walk righteously and confidently in the truth of your word. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

You Can Come Back To God (Psalm 51)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 51

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin [is] always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done [this] evil in Your sight–That You may be found just when You speak, [And] blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden [part] You will make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, [That] the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me [by Your] generous Spirit. 13 [Then] I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.

PSALM 51:1-13

YOU CAN COME BACK TO GOD

David did a terrible thing. It was horrible. He abused his power as king to force Bathsheba into an adulterous relationship with him and then he had her husband killed. There is no way around this. David, the man after God’s own heart, had done some really terrible things. This wasn’t a mere wayward glance or an abrupt, tired, and ill timed remark. This was life altering sin that had sever consequences for Uriah (the man he had killed) and his family. David destroyed lives with his sin. It was no small matter.

But no matter how bad David’s sin was, there was still a way back to God. I think sometimes we take this for granted that God forgives. We fail to take into account how profound that really is. Apart from the grace of God, we can’t forgive one another when we are sinned against in such violent ways. Apart from God’s grace, how do you forgive a cheating spouse? How do you forgive a person who you believed in, were supposed to be able to trust, and they commit violent acts to destroy you and your family? How does God forgive such heinous sinners? And if we just so happen to be that sinner, how do we even imagine being able to ask God for the forgiveness and grace we so desperately need?

Enter Psalm 51, David shares his prayer. He mourns his sin. It’s not something he can just wash off on his own. The dirt on his soul is so putrid, so foul, and so deep in his heart that there is no way to cleanse it with soap and a rag. No matter how hot the water and no matter how much he scrubs, his deeds are out there forever to make ripples in the lives of those he has betrayed.

David is a man’s man, he is independent. He is the guy who trusted the Lord to kill the giant. He is the one who has lead his nation into battle time and time again. He has fought on the front lines. You won’t find many things that David can’t do…. but David readily admits that he can’t wash his soul of these horrific sins… but God can.

This confession, this dependence, this poverty of spirit before almighty God is perhaps why David is a man after God’s own heart. He has no problem recognizing his sin and that God is the only one who can forgive him and that God will forgive when he boldly approaches seeking his forgiveness.

This is great news for both the sinner and the one’s wrestling with how to forgive sin. The good news for sinners is that you can come home to God through repentance. It’s not an easy grace, it’s costly. Jesus went to the cross so that you could come to God. A sacrifice had to be made on David’s behalf and fortunetly for David, God was willing to pay it. Like the prodigal son, he can come home.

And for those wrestling with how to forgive. We offer forgiveness not in our strength or our power, but through trusting God to render everyone their just due. Those who have betrayed us will answer for their sins, either through Christ who payed their sin debt or their souls forever in a place called Hell.

PRAYER

Father, I am overwhelmed by your mercy. I know people who have hurt others like David. If I’m really honest before you, I know sin plagues my soul to the same depth that it touched David’s. I may not have acted in out in the ways that he did, but my heart has been deceptive and wicked. I need you to forgive and cleanse me from unrighteous deeds, thoughts, and desires. I want only what is pure, lovely, and holy to remain. I am grateful we can come to you for forgiveness of our sins and restoration of our relationship, no matter how far we have run from you. I am grateful that we can trust you to deal with the sins of others. Thank you father for your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

God Doesn’t Need Me, But He Wants Me (Psalm 50)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 50

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I [am] God, your God! 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, [Which are] continually before Me. 9 I will not take a bull from your house, [Nor] goats out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest [is] Mine, [And] the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field [are] Mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world [is] Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

PSALM 50:7-15

GOD DOESN’T NEED ME, BUT HE WANTS ME

I’ve heard a few pastors or speakers get up and declare something that God ‘needs.’ “God needs faithful men.” “God needs his people to be consistent.” etc. etc. It’s always irritating when I hear that kind of language. First because God does NOT need anything! He is self-sufficient. He created everything. He has no need! There isn’t anything you can give God that He doesn’t already have! To think that God needs something from you is to completely misunderstand God! Indeed, it mislabels God. If God needs something from you, He is not God, you are!

God does not need so therefore He cannot be manipulated. You can’t withhold something from God in an attempt to get him to do your bidding. You can’t promise him something to get him to do what you want. There is no real bargaining with God (See the book of Jonah). You have no leverage…. on the other hand, everything you have comes from God. Your body, your life, your breath, your possessions, even your cat (I know I’m assuming your a cat person). In a very real sense weather you recognize it or not, you need God!

God does not need anything from you, that means he has no reason to manipulate you. He has no reason to tell you lies (That’s one thing by definition that God can not do). It means that everything that comes from Him, quite simply comes as a gift. There is nothing you can offer to purchase what God gives.

So if God doesn’t need anything from me, and I need everything from Him, how do I interact with God? The proper response to God is to show God gratitude (v. 14) and give Him glory (v.15). Gratitude is a recognition of His provision and gifts. Glory is a recognition of His greatness. These responses aren’t a payments (we could never repay God) they are praises. These are “offerings” from the heart, not just the flock (or checkbook). We recognize that even the offering itself comes from God, it’s the heart that expresses gratitude and gives glory.

There is much more to this psalm, especially as we contemplate sin and separation from God, but I found this section the most thought provoking as we consider our worship of God.

PRAYER

Father, I am grateful that you have provided all that I need. You have given me gifts great and small that are all greater than I can comprehend. I am limited in my ability to perceive the full depth of your provision. I am humbled today to think that you have no need of anything I could give you, but you should choose to hear my prayers. Forgive me for when I have thought that worship was transactional or when I misunderstood your gracious gifts as those things to which I was entitled. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Beware Of Empty Treasures (Psalm 49)

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PSALM 49

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2 Both low and high, Rich and poor together. 3 My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart [shall give] understanding. 4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp. 5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, [When] the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? 6 Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches, 7 None [of them] can by any means redeem [his] brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him– 8 For the redemption of their souls [is] costly, And it shall cease forever– 9 That he should continue to live eternally, [And] not see the Pit. 10 For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inner thought [is that] their houses [will last] forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call [their] lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man, [though] in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts [that] perish. 13 This is the way of those who [are] foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling. 15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah 16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For [men] will praise you when you do well for yourself), 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. 20 A man [who is] in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts [that] perish.

PSALM 49:1-20

BEWARE OF EMPTY TREASURES

I love going to the beach. We usually see a lot of wonderful marine life where we are. We see everything from hermit crabs, sand dollars, starfish and sea cucumbers, to sting rays, sharks, and dolphins. We also enjoy the sugar like white sands of the gulf coast. Often I see kids at the beach flying kites and building sandcastles. Sandcastles are the one thing I never really understood about beach life. You could build one today, but you know it would be gone in just a few hours when the tide comes in. It won’t matter how much work you put in, how many decorative shells you’ve placed on it, or how elaborate it all is, it will wash away in the tide.

There are a lot of our lives that are like that as well. There are things we can place our time and effort into that in the great grand scheme of things don’t really matter. When the great tide of death comes (and it comes for us all) it will wash away all that we have built with our hands. The Psalmist reminds us that to have a vast estate, a great amount of wealth, wisdom, or posterity in the end won’t really mean a whole lot when death comes for us. We won’t be able to think our way out of death. We won’t be able to buy our way out of death. We won’t be able to work our way out of death. We won’t have any influence or control over death. And when it comes it will render all of those things useless.

BUT GOD (see verse 15)…. The only one who can redeem us from death is God. So while this world pursues many worthless things, we are reminded to pursue God. He is the only treasure worth seeking after. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 6:33:“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

PRAYER

Father, keep me from pursuing worthless treasure. This world values so many things that in the end will not profit me anything. Teach me to be diligent with all that you have entrusted to me. I don’t want to waste my life or my time on things that don’t even matter. I am grateful for your salvation. Let me seek my peace, my hope, my souls redemption in you today! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

The City Of God (Psalm 48)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 48

1 A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, [In] His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, [Is] Mount Zion [on] the sides of the north, The city of the great King. 3 God [is] in her palaces; He is known as her refuge. 4 For behold, the kings assembled, They passed by together. 5 They saw [it, and] so they marveled; They were troubled, they hastened away. 6 Fear took hold of them there, [And] pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, 7 [As when] You break the ships of Tarshish With an east wind. 8 As we have heard, So we have seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, In the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah 9 We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, In the midst of Your temple. 10 According to Your name, O God, So [is] Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness. 11 Let Mount Zion rejoice, Let the daughters of Judah be glad, Because of Your judgments. 12 Walk about Zion, And go all around her. Count her towers; 13 Mark well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces; That you may tell [it] to the generation following. 14 For this [is] God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide [Even] to death.

PSALM 48:1-14

THE CITY OF GOD

I love going to a wedding or graduation party where someone in the family has put together a slide show of an individual growing up through the years. You get to see someone as a smiling infant, a toddler taking first steps, a child playing sports, family moments, etc. And then you glance at them live and in person reaching a fulfillment of all of those pictures. There they are and they have graduated or they are married and the inference of the slide show is clear. Those moments recalled to our minds and imaginations were the steps leading them to where they are today! It’s a glorious celebration of the creativity and sovereignty of God!

I get that picture when looking at this Psalm. Not of an individual, but of a city. We are looking at Jerusalem, the city of God. A place where God has chosen to put his foot stool. He has chosen to put his manifest presence among man. It began with a tabernacle on the hill, it moved to a temple that was destroyed and rebuilt, it was fulfilled in Jesus who walked and talked among mankind, it was where the Holy Spirit was first received on the day of Pentecost and it will be a place where God again dwells with man in the New Jerusalem…. It is God’s Holy city all grown up. Every step, no matter how small. leading to see the fullest expression of God again with his people, no separation, no sin.

At this point I am reminded of a song that I sang in church as a child, “He’s still working on me.” As I see this Psalm rejoicing in the growth and maturity of the city of God, I cannot help but see God’s work in my own life. He has been faithful to save me, call me, set me apart for his kingdom and his glory. I may get frustrated sometimes, I may want to quit or give in to temptation, but I am reminded today that these battles in my own life are but birth pangs leading to something greater.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for your incredible patience. I am grateful for this Psalm and all it teaches us about the city of God. I am grateful that you are sovereign and see the end from the beginning. I am grateful that you haven’t given up on me and that by your grace one day I might look back and see how far you have caried me along. I want to grow in you and mature in you today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

Sing Praises With Understanding (Psalm 47)

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Psalm 47

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! 2 For the LORD Most High [is] awesome; [He is] a great King over all the earth. 3 He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. 4 He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah 5 God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God [is] the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding. 8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne. 9 The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth [belong] to God; He is greatly exalted.

PSALM 47:1-9

SING PRAISES WITH UNDERSTANDING

I told my son the other day that I was proud of him. He wanted to know, “for what?” He has people in his life that tell him things like that all the time. They just mean to generally encourage him, but he comes from a generation who doesn’t take much at face value. The words aren’t enough for him, he always wants to know the meaning behind it. It isn’t enough to know that I am proud of him, he wants to know why I’m proud of him. I generally always note why I’m proud of him, even if I remind him that I’m proud of him in a unique way because he is my son.

Sometimes when it comes to singing praise to God, we can be guilty of just saying the words. Truth be told there is a lot of hype getting mislabeled as praise these days. Real praise is offered in response to who God is and what he has done. Praise is a TESTIMONY not just a warm fuzzy. It’s rooted in the multifaceted fact that God is worthy of our worship; it’s not a manipulation of feelings. It’s power is found not in the chords that are played, but the truth that is displayed about who God is. Our praise should be mindful meditation on God’s word/ character, not mindless chanting of words over and over again. In short, real praise requires contemplation.

The LORD is Awesome in the fullest understanding and expression of the word! He is worthy of all the instruments we could bring to play in concert with one another. He is worthy of our concentration. He is worthy of our real and righteous emotions that flow out of a heart filled with gratitude guided by grace. Our hearts must meditate and reflect so that we offer more than crumbs of our attention, but we must give him praise out of our concentration.

PRAYER

Father, You are worthy of all our praise and adoration. I am grateful for your kindness to me. You are sovereign Lord of all creation! You will come and set all things right. I pray for your kingdom to come and your will to be done. I pray for you to be glorified in my heart and life. I ask Lord that you would help me to come to you in humble contemplation of your greatness. You are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

We Will Not Fear (Psalm 46)

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PSALM 46

1 To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of the sons of Korah. A Song for Alamoth. God [is] our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 [Though] its waters roar [and] be troubled, [Though] the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 [There is] a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy [place] of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God [is] in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The LORD of hosts [is] with us; The God of Jacob [is] our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I [am] God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The LORD of hosts [is] with us; The God of Jacob [is] our refuge. Selah

PSALM 46:1-11

WE WILL NOT FEAR

A bee stung my grandfather and then landed on me. I was afraid and I jumped back. My grandpa simply brushed it off of me and said, “look, no stinger!” He had taken the sting and so the bee had no stinger left, it was dead or dying and so I didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

I saw a woman playing with a skunk once. I thought it was so odd. I asked why he never sprayed her or why she didn’t stink and she said that, “This skunks glands had been removed.” He didn’t have the capacity to cause harm or a stench anymore and so anyone could pet him.

What are you afraid of? What is the worse case scenario? What is the most terrible thing that could ever happen?… God is bigger! He is greater! Nothing can still His mighty hand! He has removed the stinger and the stench of those things that cause us fear… especially death.

The psalmist reminds us about how great it is to take refuge in the Lord. We can face our fears when we know that God is greater than anything that would come against us. We can stand up when we know our greatest enemy is destined to fall. It doesn’t mean that we won’t face some scarry scenarios in our lives. Indeed the bible is filled with those who faced persecution, famine, war, flood, and more. But what it does mean is that especially during those times that God is our refuge, our shield, our protector. We can face the enemy, even death, knowing that he had taken the sting out of it.

PRAYER

Father, I confess that there are many things in this life that cause my knees to go weak. There are fears I have of things that are both real and imagined. I am grateful that when I trust in you as my rock and my refuge that I don’t have to be afraid. I am grateful that you watch over me. You provide for me. You protect me. You keep me from harm. you have conquered the greatest enemy I have known, sin and death, and have placed me securely in your right hand. I trust in you. Like David facing Goliath. I will not be afraid. Death has been defeated. I hope in you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.

A Royal Wedding (Psalm 45)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 45

10 Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house; 11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He [is] your Lord, worship Him. … 16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, Whom You shall make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

PSALM 45:10-11, 16-17

A ROYAL WEDDING

When I do pre-marriage counseling one of the key sessions we discuss is the matter of “leaving and cleaving” (Genesis 2:24). Or another way to put is is we speak to the matter of in-laws. When the father walks the bride down the isle and puts her hand in her very-soon-to-be husband’s hand it is no small gesture. In a very real sense, the bride and groom are leaving their families and beginning one of her own together. Family loyalties change on that day. Husband is to prefer his wife over his family and the wife is to prefer her husband over her family. That is how it is supposed to work. Too many relationships fall apart because of a failure of one party or both to “leave and cleave” (Genesis 2:24).

Here we see a royal wedding Psalm. This speaks of more than just an earthly king and queen getting married. (Especially since verse 6 calls the king, God). This represents the Lord and His Bride, the church (see Ephesians 5 and the end of the book of Revelation).

In a very real sense when we commit to Christ we become His and He becomes ours. We have a promise that we will leave and go with him to a place that he has prepared for us (See John 14). We will dwell with him there forever! What a joyous and exciting celebration that will be!

The note of application that stuck for me today comes in the form of a question. Am I leaving and cleaving to Christ or do I allow old world allegiances too much agency in my life?

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for your amazing love! I am grateful for your amazing covenantal love. Thank you for the pictures and metaphors all through out your word that point to how you care for us as a shepherd cares for sheep, as a good groom cares for his bride. Thank you that you never quit on us that you never give us. Thankyou for your kindness and gentleness. We love you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I’m reading and blogging the Psalms Through The Summer. I’d love for you to join me. You can find out a little more here.