Monthly Archives: January 2014

Psalms 19-21, Matthew 11

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In Psalm 19, David describes the glory of creation juxtaposed with God’s perfect law.  “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork… the law of the Lord is perfect”, the precepts are right, the commandment is pure, the rules are true. Both creation and the keeping of God’s commandments serve to glorify God.  David concludes these thoughts by praying “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight.”

Jesus’ words in Matthew 11 provide a similar comparison. Jesus recognised God’s majesty as “Lord of heaven and earth”, and also the need to listen (“he who has ears to hear, let him hear“) and act accordingly (“take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls”).

Similarly, we can be inspired by the majesty of creation, the awe-inspiring scale of the universe, and the beauty of nature, to dedicate our lives to giving God glory.

Matthew 10, Psalms 18

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Jesus provides advice and encouragement to his disciples about preaching, and the same applies to us. A disciple should “be like his teacher, and the servant like his master”.  We need not be afraid of preaching, God is watching over us and knows more about us than we ourselves know. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul…even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven”.

The disciples faced the same fears and concerns about preaching that we often feel, yet they were encouraged by Jesus to preach regardless.

We find evidence of God’s care for us in David’s writings also. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold… In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.”  We can take comfort in the knowledge that God is watching over us, and hears our cries and prayers no matter how distant He seems.

Psalms 17

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Psalm 17 is a prayer of David, gives us an insight into David’s relationship with God. Although David experienced many trials in life, he could say “My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.”  He viewed God as a source of strength and protection, “Saviour of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand…. hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence”.  He concludes the prayer by saying “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness”.

David’s focus throughout his life was on God, expressing both joy and pain in his prayers, constantly seeking and relying on God.  Let us follow David’s example of meditating on God’s word, communicating with God through prayer, constantly throughout our lives.

Psalms 14-16

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David eloquently describes the sort of person pleasing to God. “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbour, nor takes up a reproach against his friend”. God desires people that look after their neighbour, that actively seek after God and take refuge in God’s strength.

David also writes “The Lord is my chosen portion…You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy” Let us do the same, choosing God, doing good, rejoicing with our whole being, because God has offered us life and a future of eternal joy.

Palms 9-10

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The Psalmist portrays a contrast between himself and the wicked. David says “I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart…I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” But the wicked has a different focus. “For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him”.
We have a choice in life; to seek God or the desires of our soul. David describes the benefits of seeking God. “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.”