Psalms 119

Aleph

¹ Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!

² Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart,

³ who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways!

⁴ Thou hast commanded thy precepts to be kept diligently.

⁵ O that my ways may be steadfast in keeping thy statutes!

⁶ Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all thy commandments.

⁷ I will praise thee with an upright heart, when I learn thy righteous ordinances.

⁸ I will observe thy statutes; O forsake me not utterly!

Beth

⁹ How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to thy word.

¹⁰ With my whole heart I seek thee; let me not wander from thy commandments!

¹¹ I have laid up thy word in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

¹² Blessed be thou, O LORD; teach me thy statutes!

¹³ With my lips I declare all the ordinances of thy mouth.

¹⁴ In the way of thy testimonies I delight as much as in all riches.

¹⁵ I will meditate on thy precepts, and fix my eyes on thy ways.

¹⁶ I will delight in thy statutes; I will not forget thy word.

Gimel

¹⁷ Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live and observe thy word.

¹⁸ Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.

¹⁹ I am a sojourner on earth; hide not thy commandments from me!

²⁰ My soul is consumed with longing for thy ordinances at all times.

²¹ Thou dost rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from thy commandments;

²² take away from me their scorn and contempt, for I have kept thy testimonies.

²³ Even though princes sit plotting against me, thy servant will meditate on thy statutes.

²⁴ Thy testimonies are my delight, they are my counselors.

Daleth

²⁵ My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to thy word!

²⁶ When I recount my ways, thou didst answer me; teach me thy statutes!

²⁷ Make me understand the way of thy precepts, and I will meditate on thy wondrous works.

²⁸ My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to thy word!

²⁹ Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me thy law!

³⁰ I have chosen the way of faithfulness, I set thy ordinances before me.

³¹ I cleave to thy testimonies, O LORD; let me not be put to shame!

³² I will run in the way of thy commandments when thou enlargest my understanding!

He

³³ Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I will keep it to the end.

³⁴ Give me understanding, that I may keep thy law and observe it with my whole heart.

³⁵ Lead me in the path of thy commandments, for I delight in it.

³⁶ Incline my heart to thy testimonies, and not to gain!

³⁷ Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; and give me life in thy ways.

³⁸ Confirm to thy servant thy promise, which is for those who fear thee.

³⁹ Turn away the reproach which I dread; for thy ordinances are good.

⁴⁰ Behold, I long for thy precepts; in thy righteousness give me life!

Vav

⁴¹ Let thy steadfast love come to me, O LORD, thy salvation according to thy promise;

⁴² then shall I have an answer for those who taunt me, for I trust in thy word.

⁴³ And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in thy ordinances.

⁴⁴ I will keep thy law continually, for ever and ever;

⁴⁵ and I shall walk at liberty, for I have sought thy precepts.

⁴⁶ I will also speak of thy testimonies before kings, and shall not be put to shame;

⁴⁷ for I find my delight in thy commandments, which I love.

⁴⁸ I revere thy commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on thy statutes.

Zayin

⁴⁹ Remember thy word to thy servant, in which thou hast made me hope.

⁵⁰ This is my comfort in my affliction that thy promise gives me life.

⁵¹ Godless men utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from thy law.

⁵² When I think of thy ordinances from of old, I take comfort, O LORD.

⁵³ Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake thy law.

⁵⁴ Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

⁵⁵ I remember thy name in the night, O LORD, and keep thy law.

⁵⁶ This blessing has fallen to me, that I have kept thy precepts.

HHeth

⁵⁷ The LORD is my portion; I promise to keep thy words.

⁵⁸ I entreat thy favor with all my heart; be gracious to me according to thy promise.

⁵⁹ When I think of thy ways, I turn my feet to thy testimonies;

⁶⁰ I hasten and do not delay to keep thy commandments.

⁶¹ Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me, I do not forget thy law.

⁶² At midnight I rise to praise thee, because of thy righteous ordinances.

⁶³ I am a companion of all who fear thee, of those who keep thy precepts.

⁶⁴ The earth, O LORD, is full of thy steadfast love; teach me thy statutes!

Teth

⁶⁵ Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according to thy word.

⁶⁶ Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in thy commandments.

⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now I keep thy word.

⁶⁸ Thou art good and doest good; teach me thy statutes.

⁶⁹ The godless besmear me with lies, but with my whole heart I keep thy precepts;

⁷⁰ their heart is gross like fat, but I delight in thy law.

⁷¹ It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.

⁷² The law of thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

Yod

⁷³ Thy hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments.

⁷⁴ Those who fear thee shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in thy word.

⁷⁵ I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.

⁷⁶ Let thy steadfast love be ready to comfort me according to thy promise to thy servant.

⁷⁷ Let thy mercy come to me, that I may live; for thy law is my delight.

⁷⁸ Let the godless be put to shame, because they have subverted me with guile; as for me, I will meditate on thy precepts.

⁷⁹ Let those who fear thee turn to me, that they may know thy testimonies.

⁸⁰ May my heart be blameless in thy statutes, that I may not be put to shame!

Kap

⁸¹ My soul languishes for thy salvation; I hope in thy word.

⁸² My eyes fail with watching for thy promise; I ask, “When wilt thou comfort me?”

⁸³ For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten thy statutes.

⁸⁴ How long must thy servant endure? When wilt thou judge those who persecute me?

⁸⁵ Godless men have dug pitfalls for me, men who do not conform to thy law.

⁸⁶ All thy commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me!

⁸⁷ They have almost made an end of me on earth; but I have not forsaken thy precepts.

⁸⁸ In thy steadfast love spare my life, that I may keep the testimonies of thy mouth.

Lamed

⁸⁹ For ever, O LORD, thy word is firmly fixed in the heavens.

⁹⁰ Thy faithfulness endures to all generations; thou hast established the earth, and it stands fast.

⁹¹ By thy appointment they stand this day; for all things are thy servants.

⁹² If thy law had not been my delight, I should have perished in my affliction.

⁹³ I will never forget thy precepts; for by them thou hast given me life.

⁹⁴ I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.

⁹⁵ The wicked lie in wait to destroy me; but I consider thy testimonies.

Mem

⁹⁶ I have seen a limit to all perfection, but thy commandment is exceedingly broad.

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸ Thy commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me.

⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the aged, for I keep thy precepts.

¹⁰¹ I hold back my feet from every evil way, in order to keep thy word.

¹⁰² I do not turn aside from thy ordinances, for thou hast taught me.

¹⁰³ How sweet are thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴ Through thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Nun

¹⁰⁵ Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

¹⁰⁶ I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to observe thy righteous ordinances.

¹⁰⁷ I am sorely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to thy word!

¹⁰⁸ Accept my offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me thy ordinances.

¹⁰⁹ I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget thy law.

¹¹⁰ The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from thy precepts.

¹¹¹ Thy testimonies are my heritage for ever; yea, they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹² I incline my heart to perform thy statutes for ever, to the end.

Samekh

¹¹³ I hate double-minded men, but I love thy law.

¹¹⁴ Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in thy word.

¹¹⁵ Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.

¹¹⁶ Uphold me according to thy promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope!

¹¹⁷ Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for thy statutes continually!

¹¹⁸ Thou dost spurn all who go astray from thy statutes; yea, their cunning is in vain.

¹¹⁹ All the wicked of the earth thou dost count as dross; therefore I love thy testimonies.

¹²⁰ My flesh trembles for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments.

Ayin

¹²¹ I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors.

¹²² Be surety for thy servant for good; let not the godless oppress me.

¹²³ My eyes fail with watching for thy salvation, and for the fulfilment of thy righteous promise.

¹²⁴ Deal with thy servant according to thy steadfast love, and teach me thy statutes.

¹²⁵ I am thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies!

¹²⁶ It is time for the LORD to act, for thy law has been broken.

¹²⁷ Therefore I love thy commandments above gold, above fine gold.

¹²⁸ Therefore I direct my steps by all thy precepts; I hate every false way.

Pe

¹²⁹ Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.

¹³⁰ The unfolding of thy words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.

¹³¹ With open mouth I pant, because I long for thy commandments.

¹³² Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is thy wont toward those who love thy name.

¹³³ Keep steady my steps according to thy promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from man’s oppression, that I may keep thy precepts.

¹³⁵ Make thy face shine upon thy servant, and teach me thy statutes.

¹³⁶ My eyes shed streams of tears, because men do not keep thy law.

Tsadhe

¹³⁷ Righteous art thou, O LORD, and right are thy judgments.

¹³⁸ Thou hast appointed thy testimonies in righteousness and in all faithfulness.

¹³⁹ My zeal consumes me, because my foes forget thy words.

¹⁴⁰ Thy promise is well tried, and thy servant loves it.

¹⁴¹ I am small and despised, yet I do not forget thy precepts.

¹⁴² Thy righteousness is righteous for ever, and thy law is true.

¹⁴³ Trouble and anguish have come upon me, but thy commandments are my delight.

¹⁴⁴ Thy testimonies are righteous for ever; give me understanding that I may live.

Qoph

¹⁴⁵ With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep thy statutes.

¹⁴⁶ I cry to thee; save me, that I may observe thy testimonies.

¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in thy words.

¹⁴⁸ My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate upon thy promise.

¹⁴⁹ Hear my voice in thy steadfast love; O LORD, in thy justice preserve my life.

¹⁵⁰ They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from thy law.

¹⁵¹ But thou art near, O LORD, and all thy commandments are true.

¹⁵² Long have I known from thy testimonies that thou hast founded them for ever.

Resh

¹⁵³ Look on my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget thy law.

¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me; give me life according to thy promise!

¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek thy statutes.

¹⁵⁶ Great is thy mercy, O LORD; give me life according to thy justice.

¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and my adversaries, but I do not swerve from thy testimonies.

¹⁵⁸ I look at the faithless with disgust, because they do not keep thy commands.

¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love thy precepts! Preserve my life according to thy steadfast love.

¹⁶⁰ The sum of thy word is truth; and every one of thy righteous ordinances endures for ever.

Shin

¹⁶¹ Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of thy words.

¹⁶² I rejoice at thy word like one who finds great spoil.

¹⁶³ I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love thy law.

¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise thee for thy righteous ordinances.

¹⁶⁵ Great peace have those who love thy law; nothing can make them stumble.

¹⁶⁶ I hope for thy salvation, O LORD, and I do thy commandments.

¹⁶⁷ My soul keeps thy testimonies; I love them exceedingly.

¹⁶⁸ I keep thy precepts and testimonies, for all my ways are before thee.

Tav

¹⁶⁹ Let my cry come before thee, O LORD; give me understanding according to thy word!

¹⁷⁰ Let my supplication come before thee; deliver me according to thy word.

¹⁷¹ My lips will pour forth praise that thou dost teach me thy statutes.

¹⁷² My tongue will sing of thy word, for all thy commandments are right.

¹⁷³ Let thy hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen thy precepts.

¹⁷⁴ I long for thy salvation, O LORD, and thy law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵ Let me live, that I may praise thee, and let thy ordinances help me.

¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy commandments.

Psalm 118
¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
² Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the LORD say: “His love endures forever.”
⁵ In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free.
⁶ The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
⁷ The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.
⁸ It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
¹¹ They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees, but they died out as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
¹³ I was pushed back and about to fall, but the LORD helped me.
¹⁴ The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.
¹⁵ Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!
¹⁶ The LORD’s right hand is lifted high; the LORD’s right hand has done mighty things!”
¹⁷ I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
¹⁸ The LORD has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death.
¹⁹ Open for me the gates of righteousness; I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰ This is the gate of the LORD through which the righteous may enter.
²¹ I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
²² The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
²³ the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
²⁵ O LORD, save us; O LORD, grant us success.
²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you.
²⁷ The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you.
²⁹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

THE STONE THE BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CAPSTONE is also found in Matthew 21:42, Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:7. In Matthew 21:42 Christ used it to sum up the parable of the wicked tenants. “Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ” ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? “Therefore, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed”.

This psalm starts and ends with the phase his love endures forever.  One of the greatest truths that mankind fails to see is how God’s love endures forever.  This phase is repeated five times in this psalm.  I have witness how the world rejects God and his way daily.  He is the stone they reject as they build their life and try to shape the world around them.  The truth that they do not grasp is that their world will be taken from them.  So as we go on our journey in this life we must make verse fourteen our guiding light “the LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”

Psalm 117
¹ Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.
² For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.

This short psalm is everything a person really needs to know about God.

This poem was from a chain email, so I will pass it on all who look at this psalm.

God Lives Under The Bed

I envy Kevin. My brother Kevin thinks God lives under the bed. At least that’s what I heard him say one night.

He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen,” Are you there, God?” he said. “Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed…” I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin’s unique perspectives are often a source of amusement.

But that night something else lingered long after the humor I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in. He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he’s 6-foot-2); there are few ways in which he is an adult.

He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and those airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life? Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed. The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child. He does not seem dissatisfied. He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work. He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day’s laundry chores. And Saturdays-oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That’s the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculates loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. “That one’s going’ to Chi-car-go!” Kevin shouts as he claps his hands. His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights. And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.

He doesn’t know what it means to be discontent.

His life is simple.

He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.

His hands are diligent. Kevin is never as happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done,

Kevin knows how to relax.

He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others.

His heart is pure.

He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of arguing.

Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances,

Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry.

He is always transparent, always sincere.

And he trusts God.

Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.

Kevin seems to know God – to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an “educated” person to grasp.

God seems like his closest companion.

In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap.

I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances – they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God’s care.

Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn?

After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I’ll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

Kevin won’t be surprised at all!

Author Unknown

Psalm 116

¹ I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
² Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
³ The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
⁴ Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, save me!”
⁵ The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
⁶ The LORD protects the simple hearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
⁷ Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
⁸ For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
⁹ that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

¹⁰ I believed; therefore I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”
¹¹ And in my dismay I said, “All men are liars.”
¹² How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?
¹³ I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
¹⁴ I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
¹⁵ Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
¹⁶ O LORD, truly I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your maidservant; you have freed me from my chains.
¹⁷ I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD.
¹⁸ I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
¹⁹ in the courts of the house of the LORD in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD.

Charles Spurgeon notes to the Village Preacher called this Psalm “Psalm of Thanksgiving in the Person of Christ”. As I read this Psalm, I can picture Christ living this Psalm during his time on this earth. Spurgeon writes that this Psalm is a continuation of Psalm 115 was is consider the Passover Psalm. It could be considered as a Psalm that represents the nation of Israel coming out of the bondage of Egypt. As we look at the first verse, we see three key points that should be in our life. First, I love the Lord. Second, God hears my voice. And third, my cry that he heard is for mercy. Why do I cry for mercy? Mercy is defined as: compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one’s power; compassion, pity, or benevolence. Who else could I turn to, beside God? However, if I picture this as a Psalm that my Lord would pray, why would he call for mercy? Would it be because of John 3:16?

As a young boy around eleven I would help milk the cows in the early mornings and evenings seven days a week. It was during this time in my life I remember the song “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” that would play on the radio at this time. This was back in the early sixties. This Psalm reminds me of my story of a journey with Jesus that started at an early age. The Christian walk is not just a walk that means I go to church on Sunday but left out my beliefs in my daily secular walk. No, it is a walk that makes me a servant to God’s way, and His will.

Psalm 115

¹ Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness.
² Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.
⁴ But their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
⁵ They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;
⁶ they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell;
⁷ they have hands, but cannot feel feet, but they cannot walk; nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
⁸ Those who make them will be like them and so will all who trust in them.
⁹ O house of Israel, trust in the LORD –he is their help and shield.
¹⁰ O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD –he is their help and shield.
¹¹ You who fear him trust in the LORD – he is their help and shield.
¹² The LORD remembers us and will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, he will bless the house of Aaron,
¹³ he will bless those who fear the LORD – small and great alike.
¹⁴ May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children.
¹⁵ May you be blessed by the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
¹⁶ The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.
¹⁷ It is not the dead who praise the LORD those who go down to silence;
¹⁸ it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore.

Praise the LORD.

In chapter one of his book Knowledge of The Holy, A.W. Tozer writes:

That our idea of God corresponds as nearly as possible to the true being of God is of immense importance to us. Compared with our actual thoughts about Him, our creedal statements are of little consequence. Our real idea of God may lie buried under the rubbish of conventional religious notions and may require an intelligent and vigorous search before it is finally unearthed and exposed for what it is. Only after an ordeal of painful self-probing are, we likely to discover what we actually believe about God.

By studying God’s Word daily, we get to look into his mirror of truth. It is amazing how the first impression of the people we meet are later changed as we grow to know the other person better. If we get pass the first impression our personal relationship with that person will usually deepen and grow richer. This is also true of our idea of God. This relationship grows once we learn the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom. In today’s reading the phrase fear of the Lord or fear the Lord is used in Psalm 111, Psalm 112, Psalm 115 and Proverb 23. So, as a starting point in developing a better relationship with God ask yourself this question “What does the fear of the Lord mean to me?”. Therefore, as I study the Psalms and the rest of God’s Word I must start off with a fear of the Lord that looks at God as creator of this universe and a God that does whatever pleases Him.

Verses sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen gets us the focus of our praise. Our praise goes to the Lord of heaven, not to men on this earth. No matter how powerful a man becomes, no matter how rich a man becomes, no matter how famous a man becomes; he will die. Those who gods are created by man will die and go down in silence; however, we who extol the Lord will praise the Lord both now and forever. Yes, we have life eternal.

Psalm 114
¹ When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
² Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.
³ The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;
⁴ the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.
⁵ Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,
⁶ you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs?
⁷ Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸ who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

Image you are fifty-eight years old. You are one of the oldest survivors among a nation that has spent the last forty years in the wilderness, but now are ready for the promises of God made to this generation. You are one of the few that can recall the riches of Egypt that this nation left to travel to the new land that God had promise to Abraham almost five hundred years earlier.  How do you relate this story to your children and grandchildren?

One of the greatest advantages of being saved and knowing Christ at an early age is seeing his hand in steering your life along.  Even when we make life changing mistakes in our life he does not leave us; but instead leads us on to serve him in ways that we never dreamed.  The dreams of the older generation of Israel were lost with their rebellion against God in the wilderness.  However, they were still able to pass this dream to the children and grandchildren. Even after their rebellion Israel still saw the hand of God providing their daily bread and provisions for them during those forty years.  Their clothes and sandals did not wear out and the younger generation was a witness to all of these mighty acts of God.

So as we make this wilderness journey on earth toward our future home with Christ in heaven may we give our children and grandchildren examples of the wonderful presence of the Lord in our life.  For the greatest gift we can leave our child and grandchildren is knowing the love we have for our Lord and the desire for them to have his presence in their lives. 

Psalm 113
¹ Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.
² Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore.
³ From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.
⁴ The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens.
⁵ Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high,
⁶ who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth?
⁷ He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
⁸ he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people.
⁹ He settles the barren woman in her home as a happy mother of children. Praise the LORD.

One of the simple truths that we sometimes overlook in reading the psalms is the truth it reveals about the relationship between God and man. Verse one starts out with the phase “Praise Yahweh”. The phrase “Praise the Lord” comes from the Hebrew word Hallelu Yah and is used twenty-four times in the Hebrew Bible and four times in the Greek form in the book of Revelations. The word Hallelujah (Alleluia) that we use in Christians songs today literally means Praise the Lord. This psalm puts in place when we should praise the Lord, now and forever, and from the raising of the sun to the setting of the sun. In other words, everything we do should reflect our Praising of the Lord. In good times and bad times, we should always praise the Lord. Yes, even in the bad times as we learn from Job. In Job, 1:21 after Job lost all his earthly goods as well as his children he fell to the ground in worship and said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return.” The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord”. In other words, no matter what is happening in your life today your life should always reflect the phrase “Praise the Lord”. This is truly the relationship that man was created to have with God.

Psalm 112

¹ Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.
² His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
³ Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴ Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.
⁵ Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.
⁶ Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.
⁷ He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
⁸ His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
⁹ He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.
¹⁰ The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

When I consider the phrase “blessed is the one who fears the Lord” I reflect to Psalm one. The key in understanding this phrase is found in the word blessed. In Psalm 1, we are told, “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law, he meditates day and night.” The fear of the Lord is an understanding of God and his way. To grasp an understanding of this verse we must understand the definition of fear. Fear can be defined as a feeling of anxiety (restlessness caused by uncertainties) that marks a state of guard apprehension and uneasiness that forces one to make decisions. This blessing comes from a trust and obeys relationship with the Lord.

As I study this Psalm, I cannot help to be drawn back to the teaching of Psalm one. God has given us the way to walk in; however, humankind seems to want more. The truth of this Psalm is we are to trust and obey the God.

The difference in the life of the man who fears the LORD and the life of the man who does not is the caretaker. As I work in my backyard or on my land, I realize how much the design reflects the desire and purpose of me the caretaker. The same is with the one that looks to the Lord as the one that directs his life. This is the type of relationship that Christ spoke of in John chapter fifteen:

¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

² Every branch in me that bears not fruit, he takes it away: and every branch that bears fruit, he cleanses it, that it may bear more fruit.

³ Already ye are clean because of the word, which I have spoken unto you.

⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so, neither can ye, except ye abide in me.

⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing.

⁶ If a man abides not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

The wicked, the one that does not have the fear of God in their life does not have the caretaker in their life. May my life (the work of God’s hand in the life of an old saint) reflect the same joy in God that I have when I set in the designer’s chair, look out, and delight in the beauty that my secret garden gives me?

Psalm 111

¹ Praise the LORD, I will extol the LORD with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
² Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them.
³ Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴ He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
⁵ He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.
⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
⁸ They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
⁹ He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever-holy and awesome is his name.
¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Last night during the silent of my time in prayer, I realized how important the very first verse of the Bible is to humanity “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. God is responsible for our very being; however, we become so wrapped up in our affairs and the social environment in which we live in that we forget that God even exist. The world around us has taken God out of the picture. God is either too big to care about the events of our individual lives, or he really does not exist. This psalm helps bring us back to the simple relationship we need to have with God. God is our creator and we are his creation. After reading Proverbs twenty-two, I realized that “Rich and poor have this in common: The LORD is the Maker of them all”. All men must call him creator.

First, we must praise and extol the One who made our being possible. Do this with your entire heart. The path of knowledge starts with this simple understanding of “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. If you do not have this as the foundation and starting point to ponder everything you see, hear, taste, and touch then your thoughts will lead to the wrong conclusions. Today as you read, the psalms focus on the phrase the fear of the Lord. This fear is the starting point in understanding the world around you.

When I consider the second part of verse ten “all who follow his precepts have good understanding”, I cannot help but place an emphasis of the importance of starting the day out with the Word. The world is ready to let us know our problems. In Genesis, three Adam and Eve hide from God because they were afraid and naked. As we study the account of the fall in Genesis chapter three, we realize that God did not asked Adam why he was afraid; but instead ask him “who told you that you were naked?” However, before Adam could reply to God’s answer God ask Adam another question “have you eaten from the tree?” Adam’s reply it was the woman who you gave me that gave me the fruit. So, in fact, Adam blames God instead of taking the blame himself. In I Timothy 2 :14 we realize that Adam was not deceived or beguiled, but freely chose to take the fruit. Whom do we listen to every day? The world around you, or God? Therefore, do we follow God’s precepts, or do we listen to the world? 

Psalm 110
Of David

¹ The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”
² The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies.
³ Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.
⁴ The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.“
⁵ The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
⁶ He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
⁷ He will drink from a brook beside the way; therefore he will lift up his head.

The writer of Hebrews refers to this psalm in Hebrews chapters six and seven. The Lord referred to this verse three times in the gospels (Matthew 22:44, Mark 12:36, Luke 20:42).  He also warned the Jews that in the future you will see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of God and coming on the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64 and Mark 14:62). Peter in Act chapter two and the author of Hebrews in chapter one refers to this psalm when addressing the work of Christ. The Lord used this psalm to redirect the Pharisees answer to his question “What do you think of Christ? Whose son, is he?” When they answered, “the son of David”, he referred them to this psalm, which he accredited to David. His question was “How is it then that David speaking by the Spirit calls him Lord? If then David called him ‘Lord’ how could he be his son?” To this, they could not answer him a word, nor did they ask him any more questions. Christ reference to this psalm was during his last week on this earth right before his death when his authority was questioned. In Matthew 26:24 Christ states, “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him” and in Act chapter two Peter preaches that Christ is the one written about in this psalm.

Two facts to remember about this psalm: The Lord will judge the nations; however, He also has the role of priest after the order of Melchizedek. In I John 2:2 John writes of his actions in this position as being the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. So read this psalm in relationship to psalm two and “kiss the Son, lest he becomes angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath may kindle in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”