The Psalmist paints a picture of the whole earth praising God. Heavens, earth, see, field, trees, all rejoice because of the impending judgement of God.
Category Archives: Bible
Psalms 94-95
The Psalmist is greatly encouraged by the steadfastness and surety of God. “But the Lord has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.” Our God is a loving God, who can be relied on, “For the Lord will not forsake his people”.
He created us, so He knows exactly what we are going through. “He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?” Our God “knows the thoughts of man” intimately, because he created our capacity to think in the first place. He knows exactly our limits, and how to help us. “When I thought, My foot slips, your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up.”
In fact, God’s greatness exceeds even our ability to comprehend it. “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.” And yet He cares for us, as a shepherd cares for his sheep. “For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.” We belong to God, who watches over us every moment of our lives, who provides for our every need, who feels when we suffer and rejoices when we obey Him.
These might be just words to you right now. But read these Psalms. Think about them. See yourself in David’s thoughts, because we’re exactly like David. Too often our pride gets in the way of praying to God for help, for encouragement and guidance. “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!”
Exodus 35, Psalms 92-93
Psalm 92 continues with some of the thoughts in Psalm 90. “It is good to give thanks to the Lord… to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night”. In other words, our minds should be continually focused on God.
The Psalmist writes “How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep!” Even the wisest of men can’t comprehend how great God is, and the depths of His grace and mercy. But we’re also given a sober warning, “The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass…they are doomed to destruction forever”.
Without God in our lives, we are like that fool, doomed to destruction forever. Although we can’t currently understand the greatness of God, we can understand that He loves us, and is faithful to us, if we remain faithful to Him. That’s all we need to understand, to “flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.”
The idea of focusing our minds on God also is found in Exodus 35, through the reference to the sabbath. In a farming community where manual labour is essential for subsistence, having a day where no work was to be done would be difficult. Would require faith that God would bless one’s labour on the remaining six days. The Sabbath ensured that everyone had a chance to contemplate the greatness of God. In our lives of luxury and time-saving devices, we have so much more time available to contemplate God’s steadfast love and His faithfulness. Let’s make an effort to really meditate on God’s word, be encouraged and strengthened by His word.
Psalms 90-91, 1 Corinthians 3
Psalm 90 was written by Moses. He reminds the reader about the eternal existence of God, and contrasts that with the brevity of human life. He also writes “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
It’s an interesting idea, relating to an earlier statement that humans are “like grass that is renewed in the morning”. Only regular interaction with God can renew us, give us something to rejoice about.
The idea of God being involved in our growth and continual existence is also referred to by Paul, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” A life that involves God is a satisfying one, involving regular renewal and growth. By contrast, mankind of itself is “like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.”
Psalm 89
Ethan the Ezrahite writes “Blessed are the people … who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.”
Which makes me wonder, do I walk in the light of God’s face? Do I exult God’s name throughout the day? God “has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God”. Let’s try and walk in that light, and find ways to exult God’s name.
Mark 15-16
A record of the final hours of Jesus’ life, and the events surrounding that. One thing that stands out is the faithfulness of Joseph of Arimathea. Jesus was dead. Not even Jesus’ closest disciples had understood what he meant when talking about being crucified and raised, so its probable that Joseph wouldn’t have understood either.
Yet here is Joseph, putting at risk his position on the council to properly take care of the body of Jesus. He risked everything he had in life, to bury the man who he’d believed was the Messiah; a man who’d just suffered a cruel, humiliating death. That takes an incredible amount of faith, courage and self-sacrifice.
We have the benefit of hindsight to help us understand the reason for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Joseph’s faith should inspire us to “seek first the kingdom of God”, knowing that our faith now will be rewarded in the life to come.
Psalms 85-86
Psalm 86 is a prayer of David. It portrays a humble man, aware of his shortcomings, constantly striving to do better, and grateful for God’s mercy.
It provides us with an example to follow, an imperfect man living a life with a balance of thankfulness, teachableness, and reverence. David’s attitude towards life and God is really inspirational.
“save your servant, who trusts in you – you are my God”
“for to you [God] do I cry all the day”
“you, O Lord, are good and forgiving”
“teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth”
“great is your steadfast love toward me”
“you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”
Psalms 83-84
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.”
Psalms 81-82, Mark 12
More Psalms of Asaph, drawing lessons from the history of Israel. Verse 7 describes an interesting sequence:
In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah.
The Israelites called to God in their distress, God heard and delivered them, answering their prayers. But the process didn’t end there, the Israelites were then tested. Deliverance wasn’t sufficient to develop Israel’s faith and character, they needed to be tested too.
God follows the same sequence in our lives. He listens when we cry to Him for help, and helps us in our time of distress. But He is also interested in developing and strengthening our characters, so we too are tested.
By contrast, there is no help to be had from the world in our times of distress. “They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness”. We have a great example, a high priest, “the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him”. Let’s follow the example of Jesus, and “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Psalms 79-80, Mark 11
Asaph mourns the destruction that has come upon Jerusalem. He pleads for God to have compassion, to deliver them and destroy their enemies. He compares Israel to a vine that was once tended and kept by God, but now its protection is broken down, ravaged by animals and burned with fire.
These psalms are full of Asaph’s despair at the current state of Israel, but that despair doesn’t prevent him from appealing to God for deliverance and atonement. Even in this broken, ruined state, Israel was not without hope.
I think this hope is equally applicable to our lives. Whatever state we’re in, no matter how much the world has taken over our life, we can trust in God to help turn things around. Jesus says “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”