Psalm 36
Of David
1 An oracle is within my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.
3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good.
4 Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.
5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
10 Continue your love to those who know you, your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me, nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen thrown down, not able to rise!

I. Sinfulness of the wicked
no fear of God
he flatters himself
Does not detect or hate his sin
his mouth is wicked and deceitful
he has ceased to be wise and to do good
Even on his bed he plots evil
he commits himself to a sinful course
does not reject what is wrong

II. Lord’s provisions
your love reaches to the heavens
your faithfulness reaches to the skies
your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
your justice like the great deep
you preserve both man and beast
your unfailing love is priceless
your wings provide refuge for men both high and low
they feast on the abundance of your house
they drink from your river of delights
with you is the fountain of life
in your light we see light

III. Summary
Continue your love to those who know you
your righteousness to the upright in heart
may the foot of the proud not come against me
may the hand of the wicked not drive me away
the evildoers lie fallen thrown down, not able to rise!

This psalm was written by David as an oracle (any utterance made or received as authoritative, extremely wise, or infallible) concerning the sinfulness of the wicked. For us the study of the sinfulness of man begins in Genesis chapter three with the temptation in the Garden. The three individuals involved were Adam, Eve and the serpent. It involved a simple decision to follow a command, “If you eat or touch the fruit of tree which is in the middle of the garden, you will die”. They did break the command and when they did their eyes where open and they saw their nakedness and attempted to cover it with fig leaves. They now became like God knowing good and evil. The outcome of breaking God’s command was death, however, God delayed death and made provisions for Adam and Eve to live. Yes, there were curses, but there were also provisions. As a believer makes his or her daily walk in this world probably the biggest challenge that he or she will face along their path is the same challenge that Eve faced. This challenge can be found in the simple word “but”. Just as Satan challenge Eve trust in God those around us challenge our faith in God today. It is this challenge that those around us question our understanding of God and present the “but” questions to challenge our understanding of God’s way. It seems that the more we walk with God the more we have to defend our relationship to him to those around us. In this Psalm we see the sinfulness of the wicked those who oppose God and has let pride become their necklace. However, in this Psalm we also see the Lord’s provisions to those who know Him. One of the main challenges we seem to face from the world is the belief that God takes care of those who take care of themselves. The problem with this belief is that it is a path for man to flatter himself on the way he follows God, which leads him to the point of not seeing our sinfulness. This leads to a path of reasoning about all issues of life which places man in charge of our life which leads to a course of sin and this soon leads to the rejection of the Lord and His provisions. The escape from this path is to know the Lord and to walk in his righteousness. For the believer this means being more Christ-like.

How the free will of an individual and the will of God interact is a mystery that mankind battles with daily. However, this weekend as I was studying C. S. Lewis’s book Mere Christianity his statements that atheism was “too simple” and “Christianity” ,water down faith, could not explain the world in which we live. The battle of Good verses Bad was also the wrong approach to take in looking at the world in which we live. After reading his writings his weekend I realized that the true battle is the rebellion of Satan and the evil forces here on earth against God and that we as Christians are really “living in enemy territory”. If this is the case, then verses two through four would describe the enemy” For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful; he has ceased to be wise and to do good. Even on his bed he plots evil; he commits himself to a sinful course and does not reject what is wrong.” If this is the case, then how important is it for believers to live in the shadow of God’s wings. To better understand the free will of an individual and how the individual will interact with God’s will we must turn to the creator of both who is God.

As I was studying the book The Battle is the Lord’s by Tony Evans this oracle speaks loudly not only of the sinful man, but also the sinfulness of Satan. As I study this book, I ask myself the question “why did not God just destroy Satan as soon as Satan rebelled against God?”. If he had done that then Satan could not have tempted Eve and she would not have offered the fruit to Adam. But we know that this did not happen. There is a reason why God has chosen the path of dealing with Satan as well as the sin of mankind. The more I understand this battle the more I understand the battles in my own life.

As I read and study the Psalms, I realize that living a Christ-like life is easy until I have to put down the Bible and move into the real world and face your daily routines. It is only when we as believers take God’s written Word and make it God’s living Word in our hearts that we can answer the “but” questions from those around us with an affirmative answer just as Christ did to Satan “But it is written”.

Psalm 35
Of David.
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 Since they hid their net for me without cause and without cause dug a pit for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise may the net they hid entangle them, may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim, “Who is like you, O LORD? You rescue the poor from those too strong for them, the poor and needy from those who rob them.”
11 Ruthless witnesses come forward; they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good and leave my soul forlorn.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting. When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14 I went about mourning as though for my friend or brother. I bowed my head in grief as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee; attackers gathered against me when I was unaware. They slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they gnashed their teeth at me.
17 O Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my life from their ravages, my precious life from these lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among throngs of people I will praise you.
19 Let not those gloat over me who are my enemies without cause; let not those who hate me without reason maliciously wink the eye.
20 They do not speak peaceably, but devise false accusations against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They gape at me and say, “Aha! Aha! With our own eyes we have seen it.”
22 O LORD, you have seen this; be not silent. Do not be far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!” or say, “We have swallowed him up.”
26 May all who gloat over my distress be put to shame and confusion; may all who exalt themselves over me be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.”
28 My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long.

The more I read the psalms the more I see Jesus. As I am studying the final week of Jesus’ earthly ministry on this earth (starting in Jericho and making the fourteen-mile trip to Jerusalem) I can see Jesus praying to God this psalm. Knowing that this trip would end in his death Jesus still made the journey. To set the stage for this journey we see Christ in Matthew chapter nineteen giving us the true meaning of a relationship with God which is different than being religious. The first was in reply to the Pharisees question “is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”. Marriage is the foundation of the most basic building block of our society (the family). Therefore, I believe the question they ask challenged Jesus to give a black or white answer on this issue. Christ answer was simple. He answered them by using Genesis 1:27 and Genesis 2:24 and stating have not you read “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”. He finished his answer with this phase ” Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”.
But this answer did not address the issue that the Pharisee’s wanted answered. Their next question to him was really a challenge to God on why God’s purpose was changed. This is seen in their reply to his answer. “Why then, did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” In other words, Moses had to make provisions so that if a marriage did not work out the relationship could be ended. Man had to intervene, because God’s way did not always work. However, Jesus replied the problem was not God, but man. He stated, “Moses permitted divorce because your heart was hard, but that was not the way from the beginning.” which not only revealed issues about divorce, but all areas of living in society. The way of the Pharisee’s differed from the way of the Lord as pictured in Psalms 1 because of their harden hearts. We need to be careful therefore when asking the “Why then” questions concerning the basic truth’s found in God’s Word. As we study and look deeper into the issues of all the questions, we have we will usually find the answer to be in our own hardness of our hearts.

The second example that was given to us in Matthew chapter nineteen that help picture the true meaning of a relationship with God was that of a little child. Children trust their parents and depend upon them completely. This stands in contrast to the old saying “God takes care of those who take care of themselves”. It seems today that a lot of believers have traded their trust and dependence on God in for the trust and dependence on their own abilities. When reading a Psalm like this I realize that to be Christ-like is to surrender all your burdens and worries to Him. Like a child looks to their parents to take care of everything so must we look to God to take care of all our issues.

The third example that was given to us in Matthew chapter nineteen that help picture the true meaning of a relationship with God was that of the rich young man. The question was simple “Teacher what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”. The rich man was living a good life, but still felt he was missing or lacking something. That something was following God. Sometimes it hard to give up everything to follow God. It is only after you lose what you considered the most precious thing to you that you learn that the most precious thing to you is your relationship to God. Once you realize this then the words of the song Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus “and things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace” will start to take place in your life. You will then become one of those who in verse twenty-seven of this psalm will delight in God’s vindication and shout for joy and gladness; we will always say, “The LORD be exalted, who delights in the well-being of his servant.

Psalm 34

Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left.
¹ I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
² My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
³ Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
⁴ I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
⁶ This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
⁷ The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
⁸ Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
⁹ Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
¹⁰ The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
¹¹ Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
¹² Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
¹³ keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.
¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
¹⁶ the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
¹⁹ A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
²⁰ he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.
²¹ Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
²² The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

It is amazing how as we grow older in this life of ours, we try to find purpose. One of the goals we strive for is a life that seems to have everything in place with no problems surrounding us and everyone seems to get along together in a peaceful manner. However, as David states in verse 19 a righteous man may have many troubles and they seem to come when we seem to have everything going in the right direction. Yet we are promised that God will deliver us from them all. I love verse 22 which states no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him. On that great day in Heaven when I stand before the throne of God my song will be Jesus paid it all.

One of the themes that I see happening in the Christian circles today and one that I write about in my daily devotionals is living a purpose driven life. As I daily read and study the Psalms and the book of Proverbs, I have realized that the purpose driven life is simply a matter of trust and obey. I trust in the Lord and obey his teachings to me. As David writes in verse eleven, “Come my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.” Therefore, my simple purpose for living is to live a blameless life before men and trust in the Lord to meet ALL my daily needs.

It been a few years since I wrote the words above, but as I go back and reflect on the Psalms again and how they played an important role in helping me find my simple purpose of living I cannot help to think about others who were on this same path and left it for another path. My love for good devotionals books takes me to several thrift stores in hope of finding a good bargain. One of the books I that I see so many copies of at these stores is “The Purpose Driven Life”. God’s way is narrow, but it is rewarding. The peace that God gives to those that follow him is amazing. So, seek Him with your whole heart and do not abandon this path for the ways of the world.

Psalm 33

¹ Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.
⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
⁶ By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
¹⁰ The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.
¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.
¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Question: What does a man who fears God do when the nation he loves and is proud to be called am American turns away from God? In verse eight it states, “let all the earth fear God, let all the people of the world revere him”. As we look at the world today, we see a world that can be compared to Sodom and Gomorrah. Are we like Lot and look at this world as our home or are we like Abraham and look for a new heaven and a new earth? What does a man who fears God do? He waits in hope for the Lord.

I was blessed by having great Bible teachers early in my life. One of these teachers taught me the important lesson of understanding the importance of carefully studying lessons on living given to us in the scriptures. One of these lessons is found in Genesis chapter thirteen. Both Abram and Lot were blessed greatly by the Lord which caused issues over who was going to use the best grazing land. To address this issue Abram gave Lot the chose of moving left (south) or right (north) and then he would move to the other direction. However, Lot looked to the east toward the plains of the Jordan, where he pitched his tent toward Sodom.

In Genesis 13:13 we read “But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly” which was probably the reason why Abram did not offer this chose to Lot. It was not long later we see that Lot moved not only toward Sodom, but dwell there. II Peter 2:7,8 reads “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.” This is why John writes in I John 2:15,16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

As I study verse fifteen “he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do”, I have a better understanding of the relationship that man has with God. God, who forms the hearts of all, the God who is the creator of all the universe has created in us a heart that can make choices. Man does have a free will to choose the way in which he walks on this earth. Why we were created with a free will to choose I cannot answer; however, I know we have the ability to decide the way in which we walk. Do we walk toward Sodom (the way of the world) or dwell in the plains that the Lord has set before us?

Psalm 32

Of David.
¹ Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whosesins are covered.
² Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.
³ When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah
⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
⁶ Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him.
⁷ You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
⁸ I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.
⁹ Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
¹⁰ Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.
¹¹ Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!

After you read this psalm go to psalm 51. These psalms were written after David’s great sin. These psalms show us the way we are to handle sin in your life. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

However, if I continue to hide my sin then: When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Blessed is the theme of this psalm. The word is only used twice in this psalm; however it describes the right relationship we must have with the Lord. Look at the four conditions to be blessed of the Lord:

    He whose transgressions are forgiven.

    He whose sins are covered.

    He who sin the Lord does not count against him.

    He in whose spirit is no deceit.

As you read this psalm realize how easy it is to be in a right relationship with God.

    God does pursue us when we go astray.

    When we go astray the peace of God leaves us.

    When we acknowledge our sin, God forgives us, and we are at peace with God once more.

    We make God our hiding place our refuge.

    We let God teach us in the way, protect us, counsel us, and watch over us.

Then the Lord’s unfailing love will surround us, and we will be blessed.

This psalm points us back to the beginning of this book Psalm Chapter One.

As I was listening to my tapes on the New Testament I realized that Paul also explained these verses in Romans chapter four. Paul describes the blessings of this psalm as a blessing that comes from faith not by works or the keeping of the law. He also writes in Romans chapter four that this blessing of forgiven was not just to Abraham, but to all who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. However, like this psalm which describes the entire relationship that David could enjoyed with God, Paul goes on in Romans chapter five to explain he relationship that we could also enjoy with God. Paul states in verses one and two that we have peace with God as well as access to God unto life eternal.

However, we do not have to wait for death to enjoy an intimate relationship with Christ.  In John 14:9 Christ ask Philip this question “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me?”.  As I read this verse, I am reminded of my journey on developing an intimate relationship with Christ.  When I first believe in the work that Christ did on the cross to secure my salvation for me, I called him Lord.  He was this all powerful being who was far away in heaven.  He was the Savior for mankind, a great figure to me just like the President of the USA is to an American.  But, now after walking with him for over fifty years he is my friend, someone I know.  As Christ told his disciples in John 15:14 “You are my friends, if you do the things which I command you” is the same relationship we can have with Christ. 

Oswald Chambers describes this type of an intimate relationship in his devotional for January 7th:

The Christian who is truly intimate with Jesus will never draw attention to himself but will only show the evidence of a life where Jesus is completely in control. This is the outcome of allowing Jesus to satisfy every area of life to its depth. The picture resulting from such a life is that of the strong, calm balance that our Lord gives to those who are intimate with Him.

As we grow in the Lord, we realize that he will never leave us or desert us.  The more you walk with Christ the more you realized that people and friends will disappoint you.  Sometimes even your closest friends including your family or spouse will turn and become your enemies, but not Christ.  It was only after the person closest to me turned against me that I was about to have this calm and balance life that is in Christ.  However, this calm and balance life that is in Christ only came after a lot of heartache and a turning everything over to God to handle.

Psalm 29

of David.

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

As I read this psalm, I guess my life is not really “All about me”.  In reality it is really all about my relationship to God and others.  This relationship could be understood and illustrated by studying the relationship the Sun has with the Moon, and the Earth.  Of these three the sun is the only source of power; the moon and the earth only receive their energy from the Sun. Our relationship with God can be seen as the same relationship that the Moon and the Earth has with the Sun.  My relationship to the people around me should be like the relationship that the moon has to the earth.  The light of the moon is nonexistence.  It has no light of its own.  It only reflects the light of the Sun.  Its presence can sometimes be seeming dimly in the daytime when its darkness is revealed in the light of the day.  But the glory of the moon is really revealing at night when it is reflecting the light of the Sun in the darkness that surrounds the Earth at that time.  It is the position of the Moon in its relationship to the Earth and the Sun that determines the brightness of the moon.

This is also true of the believer.  It is our relationship with God and the world that determines how bright our light shines for Him.  A Christian’s walk that is worldly can be compared to the moon when it is barely visible during the day and its present is usually not noticed at all.  However, it is in the darkness that sin brings into this world that God uses those who are in the right relationship with Him to reflect his glory and give light to a dark world.    As Christ reminded us of in Matthew 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shine unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”.  Yes, my life is really “All about Him” and He should receive all the glory.  So, the question I must ask myself daily is “Do I really live my life so that others see God working in my life, or do I try to take this glory and heap it on myself?”.

Psalm 29

of David.

¹ Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.
³ The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.

⁴ The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
⁵ The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
⁶ He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
⁷ The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
⁸ The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
⁹ The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
¹⁰ The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
¹¹ The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.

As I read this psalm, I guess my life is not really “All about me”.  In reality it is really all about my relationship to God and others.  This relationship could be understood and illustrated by studying the relationship the Sun has with the Moon, and the Earth.  Of these three the sun is the only source of power; the moon and the earth only receive their energy from the Sun. Our relationship with God can be seen as the same relationship that the Moon and the Earth has with the Sun.  My relationship to the people around me should be like the relationship that the moon has to the earth.  The light of the moon is nonexistence.  It has no light of its own.  It only reflects the light of the Sun.  Its presence can sometimes be seeming dimly in the daytime when its darkness is revealed in the light of the day.  But the glory of the moon is really revealing at night when it is reflecting the light of the Sun in the darkness that surrounds the Earth at that time.  It is the position of the Moon in its relationship to the Earth and the Sun that determines the brightness of the moon.

This is also true of the believer.  It is our relationship with God and the world that determines how bright our light shines for Him.  A Christian’s walk that is worldly can be compared to the moon when it is barely visible during the day and its present is usually not noticed at all.  However, it is in the darkness that sin brings into this world that God uses those who are in the right relationship with Him to reflect his glory and give light to a dark world.    As Christ reminded us of in Matthew 5:14-16 “Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shine unto all that are in the house. Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”.  Yes, my life is really “All about Him” and He should receive all the glory.  So, the question I must ask myself daily is “Do I really live my life so that others see God working in my life, or do I try to take this glory and heap it on myself?”.

Psalm 28

Of David.
¹ To you I call, O LORD my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
² Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
³ Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who do evil, whospeak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts.
⁴ Repay them for their deeds and for their evil work; repay them for what their hands have done and bring back upon them what they deserve.
⁵ Since they show no regard for the works of the LORD and what his hands have done, he will tear them down and never build them up again.
⁶ Praise be to the LORD, for he has heard my cry for mercy.
⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.
⁸ The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
⁹ Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

As I read this verse today in relationship to Oswald Chamber’s devotion from August fourth, I noticed that the Psalmist does not claim to have done anything great in these verses.  This point was also made in Oswald Chamber’s devotion from August 4th in that it is out of our poverty that God uses us for His purpose. As I read this devotion, I thought back to II Timothy 2:20-22 ” Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth: and some unto honor, and some unto dishonor.  If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, meet for the master’s use, prepared unto every good work. After righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart”.  So, as a believer we must present ourselves as a clean vessel for the master’s use.  Remember a vessel is empty, it is God that fills and uses the vessel.  All we must provide for God to use us for his purpose is a vessel of honor.  People who know not God who plot evil in their heart and show no regard for the things of God might not see the true believer as a vessel of God, but God does.  My prayer is for anyone that reads Psalms twenty-eight to see that the way of the wicked (see Psalms one) is the wrong path to travel.  The right path is for those who call on God out of a pure heart. 

As I study this psalm today the phase found in verse one “For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit” revealed how strong my relationship with God must be.  I searched and realized this is the first psalm that uses the word pit to refer to the grave.  Without God in our life we are dead.  If you jump over to Psalm 88 you will read a psalm that is probably one of the hardest psalms to understand.  The reason is that we look for hope when we read the Psalms.  There is no hope in Psalm 88.  This psalm ends with the verse “you have taken my companions and loved ones from me; the darkness is my closest friend.  This I believe was the psalmist greatest fear in his life, a life without God.  Yet how many people do we meet daily who are living in the pit and living the lifestyle of the wicked.  Verses three and five sums up the characteristic of the wicked “those who do evil, who speak cordially with their neighbors but harbor malice in their hearts, they show no regard for the works of the Lord”,  Study the makeup of the pit as the Lord gives it in Luke 16:19-27 and as I believe Psalms 88 portrays it.  Yes there is a hell (the pit where God’s presence cannot be found) as well as a heaven (where the dwelling of God is with men).  The choose of your final resting place depends your answer to one question.  What will you think of Christ?

As I study this psalm, I noticed that verse three starts out with the phase “Do not drag me away with the wicked with those who do evil” and verse seven ends with the phrase “he has heard my cry for mercy”.  This is the message of the gospel.  We are all guilty before God, but he does extend to us mercy.   As I read Oswald Chambers devotional for November 5, he brings out the role of Jesus in our life.  He illustrated how Mary believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. However, he brought out the point that Mary realized that she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus.  In verse two we see that this is also what David wanted.  His desire was to have a closer personal intimacy to God.  This Psalm contains the gospel message of God.  We are all guilty before God, however God does extend his mercy to us.  Once this happens, we are changed and see the old, wicked way in which we walked for what it was and turn from that way.  We then find our strength in the Lord and our desire than focus on become more like God.

Psalm 27

Of David.
¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?
² When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.
³ Though an army besieges me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident.
⁴ One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
⁵ For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
⁶ Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
⁷ Hear my voice when I call, O LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸ My heart says of you “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
⁹ Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper. Do not reject me or forsake me, O God my Savior.
¹⁰ Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
¹¹ Teach me your way, O LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
¹² Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence.
¹³ I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

As I read verse four I am drawn to John 14: 2-3 “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” American society is overexposed to the daily outlet of media broadcasting that has had a great impact unto our lifestyle. This media overexposure impacts many believers with a great desire to live for today and building a brighter future for living their life on this earth than seeking heavenly treasure. However, the true believer’s focus should also be looking for the Lord’s coming and the arrival of the New Jerusalem and the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Key points from this chapter:

Can you state the same truths in your life with the (I) statements as David did in this psalm?

• whom shall, I fear?
• whom shall I be afraid?
• I ask of the LORD that I may dwell in his house
• I seek that I may gaze upon his beauty
• I seek him in his temple
• I sacrifice with shouts of joy
• I will sing and make music
• I call on the Lord
• I will seek his face
• I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living

Can you state the same truths in your life with the (me) statements as David did in this psalm?

• LORD is my light
• LORD my salvation
• LORD is the stronghold of my life
• He will keep me safe in his dwelling
• He will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle
• He set me high upon a rock
• my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me
• Hear my voice when I call
• LORD; be merciful to me
• Lord answer me
• Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me
• Teach me your way
• lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors
• Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes
• false witnesses rise up against me

Can you wait for the LORD and can you be strong and take heart?

 A text sent to me:

Sincerely the Fallen

At what point in our life do we reach the crossroads?

How do we determine which path to follow?

Do we follow our heart or our ambitions?

Why is there enough religion to insight war, but not enough to find peace?

When is it time to give up on the world and seek a better place?

Only the truth will set you free. 

Where do you find it in a world of lies?

God have pity on the fallen.

May you find peace in this life for it has failed me.

Sincerely the Fallen

 My reply:

At what point in our life do we reach the crossroads?

This crossroad is reached when you must decide which path you desire to follow, the way of the wicked or the way of God.

 How do we determine which path to follow?

You make this choice.  Do I travel and walk with the wicked, stand with the sinners, and sit with the mockers or do I travel and walk, stand, and sit with the righteous?  The choice is yours.

 Do we follow our heart or our ambitions?

Neither, we follow Christ.

Paul states that we should have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had in our relationship to others.  Christ was Lord, yet he humbles himself and died as a criminal on the cross.  The human nature struggle with the issues of pride and humility daily.  To aid us in this struggle Paul gives us this advice: don’t be selfish, do not try to impress others, think others as better than yourself, do not look to your own interest but take an interest in others.

 Why is there enough religion to insight war, but not enough to find peace?

You must realize that religion is man-made and attempts to find peace.  Real peace only comes when we have a true relationship with God.

 When is it time to give up on the world and seek a better place?

Christ stated it as simply “Come unto me all who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest”.

 Only the truth will set you free.

Ask must add to this statement “free from what?”.  As I look at John chapter 18 in the discourse between Pilate and Christ:

Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then. Jesus answered; thou say that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hearth my voice.  Pilate said unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and said unto them, I find no crime in him.  But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.

I once heard of a man that that went searching for Truth, met Truth and turned and walked away.  This is what Pilate did.  Yes, Truth can set you free, but only if you face it. 

Where do you find it in a world of lies?

In Christ who is the truth, the life, and the way and the only way to the Father.

God have pity on the fallen.

He has for we are all fallen creatures.  However, God so loved us that he sent his only son into this world to die on the cross to pay for my sins.  In his love he pitied us, but also made a way out in Christ.

May you find peace in this life for it has failed me.

Read Psalm 88.