Tag: psalm

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.

Can The Sons of A Heretic Still Worship The Lord? (Psalm 42)

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PSALM 42

1 To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where [is] your God?” 4 When I remember these [things], I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And [why] are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him [For] the help of His countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. 7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. 8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song [shall be] with me–A prayer to the God of my life. 9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 [As] with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where [is] your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

PSALM 42:1-11

CAN THE SONS OF A HERETIC STILL WORSHIP THE LORD?

The answer is yes. You can read the story of Korah and his rebellion in Numbers chapter 16. While Korah along with many others who had stepped out of line were swallowed up by the earth, his sons were spared (See Numbers 26:9-11). The line of Korah still existed and his descendent served in and around the tabernacle. By the time that David came to reign, they were known for their musical ability in worship and many of the Psalms are attributed to them. What great grace this is to see that the sins of the father are not the destiny of the children.

I love how this psalm begins. Talking about a panting deer longing for water. These folks knew what it was like to be thirsty. They could see in nature a picture of a panting deer longing for a cool and refreshing drink and think about how they longed for, craved, needed to worship the Lord.

I can’t help but think of the moment that Jesus stood up and said that if anyone was thirsty they should come to Him for a drink (John 7:37). There is no reason to go thirsty in this sense today! God has given us His Holy Spirit! My Big takeaway today is to make sure that I am satisfied in Christ and not trying to fill my heart from broken cisterns (Jeremiah 2:13).

PRAYER

Father, I am grateful that you meet our deepest needs. I long for you in my soul like a deer pants for water. I want to be satisfied and filled in you, Lord. Please keep me from pursuing the things in my life that do not satisfy. Keep me from chasing the things that won’t fulfill me. Let me trust in you and you alone to provide all that I need. 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.

From The Pit And Mire To The Pulpit And Choir (Psalm 40)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 40

1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. 2 He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, [And] established my steps. 3 He has put a new song in my mouth–Praise to our God; Many will see [it] and fear, And will trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed [is] that man who makes the LORD his trust, And does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, [are] Your wonderful works [Which] You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; [If] I would declare and speak [of them], They are more than can be numbered.

PSALM 40:1-5

FROM THE PIT AND MIRE TO THE PULPIT AND CHIOR

Have you ever had a dirty rotten, no good day? Ever feel like you have fallen in a hole and left for dead? Every feel like you are covered in the grossness of slime? David did… Apparently even God’s chosen kings may face slimy pitts. 

David wrote a song about it… well not really that, but how the LORD picks his servants up from stuff like that. How God’s done it before and how He will most certainly do it again! 

David teaches us how to have joy in the midst of sorrow. 

Verse one is kind of scary to me. I’ve never waited patiently for the Lord until I had to. I’ve always tried to figure out how to get out of a fix and then when I’m exhausted I end up giving it all back to God. 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation, where you knew that if God didn’t do something, that nothing would happen? You are at the end of your rope. There is nothing else for you to do but call to God and wait. 

In verse two we really aren’t told much about David’s situation. It could have been literal. Later the prophet Jeremiah would be thrown into the bottom of a well and literally have to wait for help from others. It might just be a metaphor though for another time that David found himself in a jam. 

It might have been family difficulty. David had plenty of serious issues with his wives, adultery, misbehaving children, grown kids who caused a civil war, etc.

It might have been his personal sin that led him there. Like when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, killed Uriah or like when he was proud of himself and declared a census.

It might have been adversity like when he was on the run from king Saul.

It might have been emotional distress like when he was caught in Goliath’s hometown with Goliath’s sword and he pretended to be insane and act the fool, drooling down his beard. 

We don’t know what the pit was, so that gives us a little freedom as we read, to read our story into it as well. I asked the question on FB, “what are some of your favorite hymns or praise songs and why.”  One of my former student pastors shared a hymn that his grandfather used to sing, but that he also pictured himself in the hymn…. It had a double meaning. It meant something to his grandfather and it meant something to him. They could both sing it and offer praise to God.

We can join David here in this Psalm because if you are a believer the LORD has delivered you out of a slimy pit. 

This provoked a NEW SONG for David. The old songs wouldn’t do. God had delivered him again, he needed to sing a new song for this moment of deliverance. So he wrote one! 

Praise God for new songs! New Songs mean that there are new generations and new circumstances of deliverance! God is still on the move! Movements that gave us most of our hymnals are contemporary when you consider that Christianity has been around for more than 2000 years!

David professes a blessing on those who put their trust in the LORD. Indeed He is the only one who can deliver us from the mire of sin and shame. He is the only one that can lift us out of our circumstances. He is the one to whom we lift our heads.

At any moment the Lord is doing a billion acts on our behalf of which we are completely unaware…. Doesn’t that get you excited?! The Lord is worthy of all Praise, honor and glory!

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you are the kind of God who delivers his people from miry clay and sets our feet on solid ground. I can’t help but see you again as a Good Shepherd who delivers His sheep no matter how lost they get and how tangled or muddy they become. Your love and grace are greater than I can imagine. Thank you for loving me. 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.

How The Wicked Miss The Joy of The LORD (Psalm 36)

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PSALM 36

1 To the Chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David the servant of the LORD. An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: [There is] no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity [and] when he hates. 3 The words of his mouth [are] wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise [and] to do good. 4 He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way [that is] not good; He does not abhor evil. 5 Your mercy, O LORD, [is] in the heavens; Your faithfulness [reaches] to the clouds. 6 Your righteousness [is] like the great mountains; Your judgments [are] a great deep; O LORD, You preserve man and beast. 7 How precious [is] Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. 8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 9 For with You [is] the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. 10 Oh, continue Your lovingkindness to those who know You, And Your righteousness to the upright in heart. 11 Let not the foot of pride come against me, And let not the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12 There the workers of iniquity have fallen; They have been cast down and are not able to rise.

PSALM 36:1-12

HOW THE WICKED MISS THE JOY OF THE LORD

Sometimes it seems like the bad guys are getting ahead. It seems like they have more money, possessions, power, privilege, charisma, stuff…. you know, the things that this world uses to figure out who is ahead. Some days it seems like they have it all. Some days it even seems like they have it all together. But they are missing one very important thing. If they don’t know the LORD, they are missing out on grace, love, kindness, goodness, blessing, and a whole lot more that comes with the LORD.

David is reflecting on the wicked who have set their heart against God. They may seem like they have a lot going for them, but they are missing the biggest blessing they could ever have. They may seem like they have it all together, but if they don’t have the LORD, it’s all going to fall apart. The wicked may have fun for a moment, but only the LORD can provide real and lasting Joy.

David then rightly goes into meditating on the character of God and everything the wicked are missing out on. The will never know what it’s like to have their sins forgiven. They will never know that free grace and mercy of God because they have hardened their hearts against him. They will never know what it is like to be loved by someone who never gives up on you,,,, They will never know.

And that should give us pause, especially on days when we are prone to want to be like them in some way. We don’t really want to be like them, if being like them means we don’t know God’s love and mercy. We don’t really want to dabble with the dark stuff if it means abandoning truth and grace. We don’t really want to pursue what they are pursing if it means we don’t get the LORD in the mix.

Knowing God is way better than anything the wicked could ever offer. Indeed what makes them wicked, is their failure to see the value of knowing God. The wicked are missing out on the joy of abundant life now and eternal life forever.

PRAYER

Father, I confess sometimes my heart is tempted to want the things of this world so much so that I would admire those who have all the things this world offers, but they don’t have you. Help me to see their severe poverty. Help me to know that what they hold on to is temporary and fleeting. Help me not to miss the riches of your grace and mercy. Help me to be grateful for the extreme kindness that has been shown to me in you. Help me note that they don’t have the one thing that matters. You O’ Lord are worthy of all my praise and affection. Thank you for the deep well of your mercy 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.

The LORD Won’t Let Them Bully Me Anymore (Psalm 35)

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PSALM 35

1 [A Psalm] of David. Plead [my cause], O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. 2 Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. 3 Also draw out the spear, And stop those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I [am] your salvation.” 4 Let those be put to shame and brought to dishonor Who seek after my life; Let those be turned back and brought to confusion Who plot my hurt. 5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, And let the angel of the LORD chase [them]. 6 Let their way be dark and slippery, And let the angel of the LORD pursue them. 7 For without cause they have hidden their net for me [in] a pit, [Which] they have dug without cause for my life. 8 Let destruction come upon him unexpectedly, And let his net that he has hidden catch himself; Into that very destruction let him fall. 9 And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; It shall rejoice in His salvation. 10 All my bones shall say, “LORD, who [is] like You, Delivering the poor from him who is too strong for him, Yes, the poor and the needy from him who plunders him?”

PSALM 35:1-10

THE LORD WON’T LET THEM BULLY ME ANYMORE

There was this kid who was getting bullied by an older kid at school. The bully would just pester this guy; hurling insults, making him eat dirt, and sometimes even wedgies. The kid had tried everything, nothing seemed to work until one day the kid was on his way home from school, but bully caught up to him, and then out from the bushes stepped the kid’s dad. All the sudden the bully had to run away, but when he got home he was in trouble. He had to meet with the principle and then the counselor.

Sometimes you have to just look at what you are facing and admit that the situation is beyond your control and you don’t have the ability to handle it. King David is a pretty incredible advocate for those who have been taken advantage of and he is an incredible warrior, but today we see in Psalm 35 that he calls out for the Lord to come and plead his case and fight his battles.

David knows that he is outmatched by those who hate him, but rather than throw in the towel, he calls on the Lord to bring charges and battle against his enemies. 

Psalm 35 is what is known as an imprecatory Psalm. It is a psalm where David prays for the destruction of his enemies. We might pause at that and think for a moment that this sounds out of line, but as we look further into this psalm I think we will find that David was right and ok to pray this way. 

It is important to know that David was not known for being a vengeful man. He had many occasions to take vengeance on his enemies such as Saul, Nabal, Absolom, and Shimei, but he shows patience rather than vengeance.  

These Psalms are prayers for God to do what He has ultimately promised to do. 
Have you ever noticed that when we pray for “His kingdom to come,” that includes praying for the Lord to vanquish all his enemies and those who stand in defiance to Him? If we read the end of the book, we know that praying this way is praying for God to come in and bring to heal those who have rebelled against him.

PRAYER

Father, We confess that we live in a fallen world. Everything is not as it should be. There are moments that people make themselves out to be our enemies and bullies. The power balance is in their favor and we have little ability to act on our own behalf to defend ourselves. In many of these instances your people have suffered great harm and loss. It hurts. It really hurts when that happens. Yet, LORD, we trust in you for justice. We trust that one day your kingdom will come. We trust that one day you will set all the wrongs right. So we call out for your justice. Give our enemies what they deserve. And if in your good pleasure you should turn our enemies into our brothers and sisters, we are blessed to know that they have come through the same mercy and grace that we have come through to get to 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.

I Will Bless The LORD At All Times (Psalm 34)

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PSALM 34

1 [A Psalm] of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise [shall] continually [be] in my mouth. 2 My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear [of it] and be glad. 3 Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. 4 I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

PSALM 34:1-4

I WILL BLESS THE LORD AT ALL TIMES

 We are told that David wrote this Psalm reflecting on some of the lowest days of his life. You can read the details in 1 Samuel 21. David is on the run from Saul. He stops by a place of worship. Grabs some food and is looking for a weapon. The only weapon they have on hand is Goliath’s sword. So they give that to David. One of Saul’s spies is there and he heads out to tell Saul so David is on the run again. 

He ends up in the City of Gath… For those of you who don’t know. This is the city Goliath was from and he is carrying Goliath’s sword! Everyone knows that it is David who killed their beloved Goliath. Goliath’s momma lives there, his cousins, etc…. This seems like it is the exact wrong place to be. David might be at an all time lowest situation of his life where he has to feign madness in order to escape with his life.

David says that he will bless the LORD at all Times. This is the highs and the lows. I love this psalm because it acknowledges the lows. 

Even in his low, David finds joy in the LORD. He invites us into his joy. Have you ever experienced something and had to get someone else involved? Unexpected joy is that way!

Have you ever  been so blessed in Jesus that you have to share the blessing? When it comes to gardening, some of our church folks are really good and they remember us when the harvest comes in! They get a bunch of squash, tomatoes, peppers, or whatever and they call us up and say, “would you like some squash?” They give it to us to enjoy too, because they’ve got too much! When they share, it not only feeds them, but nourishes us as well.  

David is saying, “I’ve got so much of the LORD’s goodness, I need to share it with you.” And His sharing blesses not only him, but us as well. 

This is what I love about corporate singing. We get together and we all come from different backgrounds. God has taken us on different journeys, but he is the same faithful God. 

  • Some come from addiction and he has helped you
  • Some come from pride and he has humbled you
  • Some come from tremendous hurt and you see his healing

It’s not just a combination of different voices, but of different testimonies and different stories of God working so that when we sing great is thy faithfulness it’s not just words, it’s lives. It’s the prodigal son come home, it’s the salvation of a lost sinner, it’s the comfort over the loss of a loved one.  Somehow when we gather together and we share in our joy with one another this mingles into praise. I love it when God’s church gathers together to magnify the LORD together and sing his praise! Even when I’m in a low, I am still encouraged and find comfort and joy.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for the incredible joy that you have blessed me with in ways big and small. Thank you for your kindness to me and uniting me with a people so loving and gracious. Thank you that there are days that I have more joy than I know what to do with and it just spills over into others lives. Thank you that others have let their joy spill into mine. You know me and you know what I need. 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.

Worthy Of All Our Worship (Psalm 33)

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PSALM 33

1 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! [For] praise from the upright is beautiful. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the LORD [is] right, And all His work [is done] in truth.

PSALM 33:1-4

WORTHY OF ALL OUR WORSHIP

New Song! We are growing in our relationship to the Lord and so a new song is fitting! It doesn’t need to be too old and too familiar. We need to be stretched in singing so we think what we are singing about.   A New Song is a song of something new and fresh that God has done. Same God, new sin forgiven, new rescue. It’s the same old Truth with a new fervor of fresh experience. It’s new words that highlight the paise worthy character of never changing God.

We are to offer God our skill. Not just our “good enough,” but our best! We spend time developing skills to use for the sake of praise. Both a Harp and a lyre are stringed instruments that had 10 strings. We are to work together to bring the Lord paise like an orchestra or symphony works together to share great works of music. Each one in synch, in beat, on time with the other. Here it says to praise the Lord with 10 strings! All 10 strings we are to be singing his praise! The whole instrument is to be used in singing God’s praise, the whole realm of melody, not one note left missing. Not one string standing still, All plucked, strummed, stirred by the worthiness of our Lord. Some of us in our praise for God is a 2 or 3 string day. We need to praise God with all 10 strings! It is both instrumental and vocal! He is worthy of all of our praise. 

 You don’t praise God for what you feel, you praise God for who He is. You enter with gratitude for all the gifts of Grace He has given you. Often we don’t offer God all of our praise, because we covet and so we are not content. We forget our blessings and cry for more gifts, while ignoring the giver.  We don’t stop and thank him for the blessings we have. We have become entitled. We think we need material stuff, because we think the more we consume, the more we will be happy…. but the truth is the more we recognize God’s goodness in our lives, the more we return praise, the more we find ourselves not only contented, but elated in worshipping Him alone. He is worthy of all of our praise.

PRAYER

Father, You are worthy of all praise, honor, and glory. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. Before I lived a single day, you knew them all. You know not only my thoughts, my desires, my actions, but even the things hidden from me in my very own body. You know my pulse, breath, my life. I ask that today that I would worship you fully with all that you have given me. Let my breath utter out your praise. Let my eyes delight in the marvel of your creation, let my hears inform my heart of the goodness and pleasantness of a melody. Let all of me be offered in praise for you are worthy of it all. 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.

Sin is Serious (Psalm 32)

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PSALM 32

A Maskil of David. 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. 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. Selah 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. Selah 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. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah 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. 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!
(Psalm 32:1-11)

SIN IS SERIOUS

Let’s examine some of the words used here at the beginning of the Psalm today. Transgression is to trespass. It is a willful volition and stepping over a line into another territory. The largeness of the trespass is depends on who’s territory you have stepped into. If I cross my neighbors boundary, it isn’t as big of a deal as it is to unlawfully cross into a Military base boundary! Our problem is that we often think of sin as small… when in fact it is big, because of who we have trespassed. This is why David could say it was against the Lord that He sinned. He sinned and hurt Uriah and Bathsheba, but his real trespass was against the LORD.

FORGIVEN means to carry away. This is the same word that is used for a scapegoat. The scapegoat is one of two kid goats. As a pair, one goat was sacrificed (not a scapegoat) and the living “scapegoat” was released into the wilderness never to be seen again, taking with it all sins and impurities. This is what it means to be forgiven. A substitute has paid for your sins and carried them off.  

SIN means to “Miss the Mark.” Imagine you are playing basketball. It’s a big game. You dribble the ball down the court, you are wide open for a three pointer so you pull up and take a shot. The ball arks high into the air but completely misses the goal, the rim, the backboard, everything… the next thing you know you hear the crowd taunting you, “Air ball! Air ball! Air ball.” Now imagine that every trip down the court, every moment of your offense, you take your stance, take aim, and fail with every attempt to make a shot… not only do you not score any points, but your stats are zero across the board.

COVERED means to conceal. This is taken from the Day Of Atonement. Once a year the high priest would take the blood of a sacrifice into the Most Holy Place and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. The Mercy Seat was the lid covering the Ark and the blood was sprinkled there because it came between the presence of God (symbolized as dwelling the the space between  the wings of the cherubim above the ark) and the broken law of God that was in the ark itself. 

Iniquity means that you are warped. It is to take something good and to twist it. It is to pervert something. I was replacing the ball joints on my old Explorer a few years ago. When I was taking the bottom joint out I decided to replace the whole A arm assembly. I undid the bolts but the arm didn’t want to fall out. So I beat the old A-arm out with a hammer… I didn’t think about how I would put the new A-arm back in. When it came time, sure enough it didn’t fit because the frame was bent. Sometime in the history of this vehicle the owner had wrecked the car so bad that it bent this part of the frame… I finally fit the new arm in, but it wouldn’t matter, the frame was warped… the car would almost always be out of alignment.

DOES NOT IMPUTE means that the Lord does not take into account. I used to like watching the old westerns. Sometimes you would see someone come into a shop and buy something but instead of paying they would say… “put it on my tab” and the shop owner would write down how much they owed on that ledger. He would impute it to their account. Imagine that the shop keeper chooses not to impute it to their account, they wouldn’t have to pay. The items would be free to them, but would still cost the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper would pay for the items in both loss of original cost and loss of revenue. By choosing not to impute our sins, Jesus chose to pay for our sins!

Deceit is the final word for sin here. This is where sin does it’s most awful damage. The biggest lies are the ones we tell ourselves. We often deceive ourselves and say that our sin isn’t as bad as it really is. Before you can find forgiveness, you have to come clean. There was a time when David did lie to himself, where he did try to hide or cover over his sin on his own. He thought he could go on like nothing ever happened, but that wasn’t the case. 

PRAYER

Father, Thank you that you are a forgiving God who has mercy on repentant sinners. I thank you for the work of Jesus Christ on the cross who died for my sins and rose again that I might have repentance and receive new life in you. Thank you that even when I didn’t know the full depth of my sin and depravity that you loved me and that Jesus died for me. Thank you seems like too small a word for all you have done in my life regarding sin. I am so grateful for your salvation. Please watch over me and keep me from falling into temptation. I love you LORD. 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.

From Problems To Praise (Psalm 31)

On By pastorjonathanIn DevotionalLeave a comment

PSALM 31

For you are my rock and my fortress; and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me; you take me out of the net they have hidden for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
(Psalm 31:3-5)

FROM PROBLEMS TO PRAISE

We find pieces of this Psalm in the mouths of other bible characters as they go through suffering. Jonah quotes from from it, Jeremiah, another Psalmist in Psalm 73, and of course Jesus utters, “Into your hand I commit my spirit.” This Psalm has well worn traction for those who are facing affliction. It’s a place to go to in the time of need. It carries a beautiful balance of honest reflections on the problems of life and our peculiar circumstances, a reminder of God’s incredible character, and response of trust in the LORD.

I conducted a funeral for a friend a few weeks ago who reminded me of this psalm. She would call me up and everything would seem like an emergency. She had a small flair for the dramatic. But indeed the issues were real and so we would discuss the challenges she was facing. Somewhere in the midst of our conversation she would remember how God had provided for her in the past. The conversation would flow into a time of testimony. Finally she would land on the fact that we all knew from the beginning, God was in control and she trusted him.

It’s good to bring our problems to God! Where else can we take them? In the midst of our problems though, we should remember the character of God. Sometimes we are tempted to look at God’s character through out circumstance. We think, “Oh, He doesn’t love me? Why did he let this happen? How will I ever get through this?” When we should be looking at our circumstances through God’s character, “I don’t know why this happened, but I know that the Lord has never let me down before. I may not see it, but he has a plan. I certainly don’t understand what is going on, but the Lord does.”

David begins with his problems, takes them to the Lord and ends the Psalm with praise of who God is. In doing so, he demonstrates how we might pray and praise the Lord in the midst of our own afflictions.

PRAYER

Father, Thank you for your grace and everything that is new in my life each morning. Thank you for your amazing faithfulness. Thank you that you delight to hear the prayers of your servants. Thank you that we can call on you in our distress. Thank you that you hear us. As we pray though our difficulties I ask that we would be reminded of your goodness and character. I ask that as we lift our burdens to you we would trust you. Thank you for this tried and true psalm that helps us pray in our afflictions. 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.