Psalm 139
Of David.
¹ O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
⁵ You hem me in-behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”

¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
¹³ For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

As I read this psalm, I recall a friend whose desire was to commit this psalm to memory to remind her of how much God was really in control of everything around her. David who like Timothy was instructed in the ways of truth at an early age by his family was the writer of this psalm. His great grandmother was Ruth, so the history of faith must have run deep in his family. I too saw this strong faith in my mother’s parents (my grandparents) and in her life. As parents and grandparents, we must realize that actions speak louder than words and that, our children and grandchildren watch our every action. These actions should reflect a godly worldview as presented by this psalm. Note that this psalm starts with the phase “you have searched me, and you know me” and ends with the phase “search me, test me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. This psalm starts out by introducing the great teacher God and ends with a student eager to learn God’s ways.

This psalm starts by introducing an omniscience and omnipresence God who is involved in every aspect of David’s life. The question now arises “can I apply this psalm to my life?” The answer to this is a resounding YES. Just read Matthew chapters five, six and seven (Christ’s message to Israel). In these chapters, Christ is stating the way in which we should walk and how God seeing us will provide everything, we need. In I John 3:19-20 “This then is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence, whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts and knows everything” John states that he knows everything in our life. So yes, this psalm can apply to you.

From the introduction, I know that God is searching my heart and that he knows me. He knows my actions, my speech, as well as my thoughts. He even directs my path by placing a barrier around me. He is my potter the one that has created me. He knows how I was form and the purpose for which I was created to perform since these were written in his book before they even happen. Therefore, as the master teacher he knows the students.

One of the truths I learned as a classroom teacher was for learning to take place the student must be willing to learn. David recognizes the first step in learning was to trust the teacher. He recognized that God not only knew him and was always present, but that he was framed and created by God. We see David’s longing for knowing God’s thoughts. However, we also see David’s desire for God to get rid of evil. David does not hide his hatred for people with evil intent. However, his prayer is that God will intervene in this battle. One of the biggest issues facing classroom teacher today is the issue of maintaining discipline within the classroom. I have witnessed many times when an unruly student has interfered with the learning process of the class. How to handle the issues that result from evil intent is a delicate issue for the believer. This is why God has given us great examples of faith such as Joseph, David, and many others to help guide us along the way. Joseph’s reply to his brothers’ request from Jacob to forgive them for the way they treated him at seventeen reveals how we must approach evil intentions of other. He stated in Genesis 50:19-20 this truth “Fear not: for am I in the place of God? In addition, as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Therefore, when evil intentions are directed your way turns them over to God and keeps living a blameless life before God and man.

As I study the last eight verses of this Psalm, I gain an insight of how David must have felt as King over the nation of Israel. His desire was to rule over God’s people as a King who follow God’s way and a King who could transform this nation into a Godly nation. As I was reading, some news articles this morning I could not help reflecting on an article titled Bush debuts as motivational speaker by Alexander Mooney of CNN on George Bush’s comment that he made in a motivational speak in Fort Worth Texas October 26, 2009. One of the interesting points in this article was about how Bush’s faith played a large role in guiding his decisions as the President.

“Every single day, I was honored to be your president by bringing honor and dignity to the office,” he said. Bush also added later that his faith played a large role in guiding his decisions: “From a personal perspective, I don’t see how you can be president without relying upon an almighty.”

Just like David, the president’s first step was to get his personal life in the right with the almighty. Verses 17 and eighteen gives us a picture of this first step: “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Where I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” We must turn our thoughts toward God and reflect on his way.

However, verses nineteen through twenty-two brings up the issue of dealing with those that are wicked. It is interesting that the first thing that David does is to turn his desires over to God. Verse nineteen starts out by stating, “If only you would”. Yes, David had no desire to be in their presences, he had no desire to take part in their plots. Yet how do you work with the wicked when it is part of your task on this earth? David’s desire was to create a kingdom for promoting God’s way, however, many of those surrounding him only wants to follow their desires and pleasures and promoting their way. When studying the Psalms, we see the challenges that David faced in his life as he tried to walk in God’s way. These challenges were the same as Christ faced when he came to earth two thousand years ago. The goal of his coming was given to us in Luke 4:16-21 as he recited Isaiah 61:1 and the first half of verse two. The mission Christ came to do was “he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Christ did not read the second of verse two “and to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion; to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair”. Many believe that this will be fulfilled when he returns the second time.

So, as we study Psalm 139 and realize that God deals with us as an individual, we must not lose focus that God’s dealing with us is for his purpose, not ours. As David closes this Psalm with these words, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” The central theme of this Psalm is God’s way and our desire to follow it. So, as I read this Psalm I am drawn to these last few verses. God usually uses a small still voice to speak to us, so heed the words of Eli and be quiet and listen for the Lord to speak to you.

Psalm 138
of David.
¹ I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the “gods” I will sing your praise.
² I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.
³ When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted.
⁴ May all the kings of the earth praise you, O LORD, when they hear the words of your mouth.
⁵ May they sing of the ways of the LORD, for the glory of the LORD is great.
⁶ Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar.
⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me.
⁸ The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever do not abandon the works of your hands.

We are living in the age where people are seeking for a purpose in life, a reason for their being here on this earth. However, as I read this psalm, I realize that it is not me that must fulfill my purpose for God, but God fulfilling his purpose in me. As I study the Pauline epistles as well as the other general epistles I realize that my purpose to God is to present myself to Him as a holy living sacrifice that has been transformed from the old man to the new man (Romans 12:1,2; Colossians 3; I John 3; Philippians 2; and II Timothy 2:21). In I Corinthians 2:2 Paul states “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified”. If we follow Paul’s example, we can become a vessel of honor, holy and acceptable for the Lord’s use. My prayer is the same then as David’s “Your love O Lord endures forever do not abandon (me) the works of your hand. In his daily devotional for January 26 Oswald Chambers writes the simplicity of this process of God fulfilling his purpose in me. He writes “By receiving His Spirit, recognizing and relying on Him, and obeying Him as He brings us the truth of His Word, life become amazingly simple.”

As I read and study verse seven of this psalm, I realize that the reality of living a quiet life without problems and issues in this world does not exist. This psalm likes many of David’s psalms brings out the importance of praising God. Even in the midst of trouble we are to praise God. How do I make discussions of how to react to the issues in my life and at the same time let God fulfill his purpose for me? One way that I have realized is to look at the examples that God has given us of David’s life as well as the life of Christ found in the scriptures. When looking at finding purpose in my life I must always go back and reflect on the experience that Christ faced at Gethsemane. His prayer found in Luke 22: 41-44:

And he was parted from them about a stone’s cast; and he kneeled down and prayed, saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but your will, be done. And there appeared unto him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became as it were great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.

This too must be our prayer. As I have been studying the Bible for over forty years the question that I have not been able to fully comprehend is “What was the true purpose of the Cross and why did it have to be this cruel death”. Yes, I know his death was the price for the sins of this world. But why this type of death?” It was truly the only way to provide salvation to a lost and dying world. But again, why this type of death? And yet as I have face Gethsemane moments in my life I have grown to realize that even the ones close to me, just as the Lord’s disciples were close to him, cannot truly know the reason behind the purpose of praying “nevertheless not my will, but your will, be done”. The secret in being able to say this prayer is one’s knowledge that God is truly God. I have realized that getting to the place in your life where you can really have the trust and obey relationship with God is not easy. This relationship only comes when you arrive at the place in your life that you can truly pray “nevertheless not my will, but your will, be done”. This relationship is your commitment to be total dependence upon God for everything. This relationship can only come by walking daily with Him and knowing that you are the work of his hands.

Verse six states that God looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Success has a way of putting distant between us and God. It seems that the more successful we become the more likely we are to forget about the way of God. That is why the Lord stated to his disciples “that he that is the greatest among you, let him be the servant to all”. Instead of being the bottom man on the totem pole, the lowly is really the rock that supports the low man on the totem pole. To cover the roughness of the rock they place rich dirt and manure on top of this rock to plant flowers. In other words, the lowly are usually completely unseen, yet supports the entire totem pole. Unseen, perhaps by most except for the Lord.

Psalm 137

¹ By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
² There on the poplars we hung our harps,
³ for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
⁴ How can we sing the songs of the LORD while in a foreign land?
⁵ If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.
⁶ May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.
⁷ Remember, O LORD, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!”
⁸ O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is he who repays you for what you have done to us
⁹ he who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

Read Isaiah chapter 13 and 14 to fully understand this psalm.  We are delighted when we are living in the blessings of the Lord.  But when we forsake the way of the Lord and follow the path of the world and let sin rule over us we are no longer under God’s protection.  This psalm represents what happens when sin runs it’s full course and we are standing naked and without anything left to show of God’s past presence in our life. 

Psalm 136

¹ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
² Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
³ Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
⁴ to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
⁶ who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
⁷ who made the great lights His love endures forever.
⁸ the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
¹⁰ to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt His love endures forever.
¹¹ and brought Israel out from among them His love endures forever.
¹² with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
¹³ to him who divided the Red Sea asunder His love endures forever.
¹⁴ and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
¹⁵ but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
¹⁶ to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
¹⁷ who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.

¹⁸ and killed mighty kings His love endures forever.
¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites His love endures forever.
²⁰ and Og king of Bashan His love endures forever.
²¹ and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
²² an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.
²³ to the One who remembered us in our low estate His love endures forever.
²⁴ and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
²⁵ and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
²⁶ Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

This psalm could be titled His Love Endures Forever. But the question that comes up very frequently in conversations is how can a God that loves us so much let so much evil exists in his world. As I meditate on this question, I recall the opening words from the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew chapter six. These words “Our Father who is in heaven holy be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” helps me realize that God will in the kingdom in heaven is complete; but his will on the kingdom which is on earth must not be complete. Trying to comprehend the question of how can a God that loves us so much let so much evil exist in his world is difficult to man because the first step in this process is to grasp an understanding of the true nature and attributes of God. This process of grasping the nature and attributes is something that is really impossible for man who is just another creation of God.

In the first three verses the psalmist describes God as good, the God of gods, and the Lord of lords. What command are we given in this psalm? Give thanks. The reason for our thanks is simply “His love endures forever”. The next six verses give us the reasons why His love endures forever by describing His creative acts. . Verse four states that He alone does great wonders and verse five adds the phase, who by his understanding made the heavens set the stage that He is beyond our understanding. Men prides himself on his great creations. This pride can be seen in the simple sandcastle built by a young child to great cities as well as the social structures that are built through the combined forces of a nation. However, the concept of building something out of nothing is beyond my understanding as well as the understanding of all mankind. How can I or mankind as a whole grasp the nature of the creator when we cannot even grasp an understand of how the heavens, the earth, and everything on the earth was created?

Verse ten through twenty-five gives us illustrations of how God intervenes in the history of man. These illustrations deal mainly with Israel. Why Israel? Because of God’s promises to Adam and then to Abraham, and then to David. However, in verse twenty-five the psalmist also God’s involvement on earth to include the giving food every creature. Paul summaries God’s dealing with man in his sermon on Mar’s Hill to the Athenians in Acts chapter seventeen.

The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’ “Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

In studying Paul’s ministry, it is interesting that here at Athens the great city of learning that the impact of the gospel had very little effect on the people that heard this message. Paul ended his sermon with a warning that God is now dealing to all people to repent because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world.

The psalmist closes this psalm in verse twenty-six with the phase “give thanks to the God of Heaven”. As I consider the question of “how can a God that loves us so much let so much evil exist in his world?” I must consider Paul’s warning to the Athenians that God is now dealing to all people to repent because he has fixed a day in which he will judge the world. After considering this psalm and Paul’s sermon on Mar’s Hill a more pressing question needs to be asked. Why does man reject such a great salvation (the gospel or good news) that is presented to him in God’s Word? Those who do give thanks to the God of heaven are those who have not rejected this great salvation and truly realize that His love endures forever.

Psalm 135
¹ Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD,
² you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
³ Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
⁴ For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession.
⁵ I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.
⁶The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.
⁷ He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
⁸ He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn of men and animals.
⁹ He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
¹⁰ He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings
¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan and all the kings of Canaan
¹² and he gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to his people Israel.
¹³ Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, through all generations.
¹⁴ For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants.
¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
¹⁶ They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see;
¹⁷ they have ears, but cannot hear, nor is there breath in their mouths.
¹⁸ Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.
¹⁹ O house of Israel, praise the LORD; O house of Aaron, praise the LORD;
²⁰ O house of Levi, praise the LORD; you who fear him, praise the LORD.
²¹ Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

The key to understanding this psalm is found in verse 6 ^“The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth”. As one recalls the Lords’ prayer in Matthew chapter six “Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven”. This Psalm is similar to Psalm 115. Verse six of this Psalm “The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” compares to verse three of psalm 115 “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.” Verse fifteen through eighteen of this psalm compares to verses four through eight of Psalm 115. Finally, reference is made in both psalms to the house of Israel, the house of Aaron, and those who fear the Lord.

These psalms help us understand how God uses the nation of Israel. It is not because of the greatness of Israel as a nation that God uses this nation, but to the glory of God. It is because of God’s promises to Adam, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and many others that God uses the nation of Israel be bring Him glory. His dealings with Israel throughout history give the nations of this world examples of God’s love and faithfulness. It gives the nations of the world to view God in action. Yet it leaves an open door for all to have a relationship with Him. This psalm speaks of praising him, whereas Psalms 115 speaks of trusting Him. But both Psalms include the phase “those who fear the Lord”.

As I read this psalm, I cannot help but focus on the word praise. Praise should be a very easy task for us in our relationship with the Lord; however, I believe because of the effects of “the cares of this world” on our life we lose our focus on the relationship we are to have with the Lord. We become so wrapped up in the everyday activities that we seem to forget the most important relationship we have is with the Lord. Praise is wonderful. Our relationship with our spouse is also an important relationship we have on this earth. I have come to realize how important praise is in this relationship. The simple, yet meaningful words such as my lovely beautiful sweet lovely young lady before I start a conversation can set the stage for a wonderful conversation. This is the type of praise we need to come before the Lord within our conversation. Once we have set in place who God really is than why would we ever question the path he has prepared for us each day. So as you start this day out start it out by praising the One who will lead you in paths of righteousness through the green pastures and still waters, and if by chance you happen to have to go through the valley shadow of death He will also be there.

Psalm 134

This is the last psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

¹ Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
² Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD.
³ May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion

What are the duties of the servant of the Lord? In these verses we are to minister and praise the Lord. The root definition means the act of serving. It is used to describe the work of one that serves. One section of scriptures that all saints need to know is Philippians chapter two. The importance of these verses from Paul describes the walk that we should have in this world “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men”. This walk should be modeled after the ministry of Christ.

So, praise the Lord and learn more of the walk of Christ. Learn more about Him and you will learn more about being a servant of the Lord.

Psalm 133

This is the 14th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

¹ How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!
² It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes.
³ It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

As I read verse one, I reflect on Paul’s many verses from his introductions found in his many epistles. An example of this is found in I Thessalonians chapter one. In these verses he refers to them as an ensample to all that believe. How does brothers live in unity? This is not an easy task. Just consider the examples of brothers given to us in the scriptures. There is the example of the first set of brothers Cain and Abel. Other examples given in the scriptures: Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, as well as David and his brothers. As we look at these relationships, they all have one thing in common. This common theme is jealousy. Why jealousy? Because jealousy is a result of wanting something that someone does not have but desires. But what happens when two brothers have no jealousy? David found this type of relationship in Jonathan the son of Saul and David’s brother-in- law. Read I Samuel chapter twenty to see the full example of this love.

As you read and study the psalms simple truths that we know exist just appear as common knowledge to the writers of these verses. Verse three “For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.” should help the believer along in the everyday aspect of living their life on earth. As we age and our bodies limits the activities that we use to do our minds should look forwarded to the new body that the Lord is preparing for us. Just as a young girl dreams of becoming a beauty model, or a young boy dreams of growing into that mighty major league baseball player who hits the game winning homerun, we should in our old age dream of the body that we will receive then Christ returns. Do you live your daily life on this earth that reflects this simple truth “God has bestowed this blessing on your life and that this blessing is life forevermore. From this day forward let me reflect this truth to those around me that I have life forevermore and therefore I am content with the limitations placed on me by my earthly tabernacle at this time.

Psalm 132

This is the 13th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

¹ O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured.
² He swore an oath to the LORD and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
³ “I will not enter my house or go to my bed

⁴ I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,
⁵ till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
⁶ We heard it in Ephrathah, we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:
⁷ “Let us go to his dwelling place; let us worship at his footstool
⁸ arise, O LORD, and come to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.
⁹ May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy.”
¹⁰ For the sake of David your servant, do not reject your anointed one.
¹¹ The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne
¹² if your sons keep my covenant and the statutes I teach them, then their sons will sit on your throne for ever and ever.”
¹³ For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling:
¹⁴ “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it
¹⁵ I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor will I satisfy with food.
¹⁶ I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will ever sing for joy.
¹⁷ “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one.
¹⁸ I will clothe his enemies with shame, but the crown on his head will be resplendent.”

Verse 5 of this Psalm gives the focus point of what should be one of a believer’s greatest desires (till I find a place for the LORD).

Verse 11 is an interesting verse when studying the generations of Christ presented in Matthew chapter one and Luke chapter three. This verse states, “The LORD swore an oath to David, a sure oath that he will not revoke: “One of your own descendants I will place on your throne”. However in Jeremiah 22:30 the Lord placed a curse on Jechoniah that none of his seed would set on the throne of David ruling Judah. That is the difference in the generations in Matthew and Luke. Matthew traces the generations through David’s son Solomon whereas Luke traces the generations through Solomon’s brother Nathan.

This Psalm promises us a King who will reign from Zion. This King is Christ. I was questioned the other day about my faith in this King. When I told someone, I was opposed to the government trying to take care of the problems we face in society because I had faith that God would provide for me, I was told that this type of faith was not real. He told me that he had seem others who believed that God would cure them, and God did not, and they had to fall by on the government to take care of them. Then I stated that I knew God will take care of me, and that the others he referred to must had have little or no faith, he looked at me and stated “Are you telling me that your faith is stronger than the faith of others?”. My reply was yes. For you see Christ refers to our faith with these words: o ye of little faith, ye have no faith, I have not found so great faith not in Israel, according to your faith be it unto you, thy faith have made thee whole, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, but I prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. I told him to look and read the pages that I had wrote and put on the internet on my website, I do serve a risen Savior who is in the world today. This is the same Savior that this Psalm refers to as God’s anointed one. Remember the most important faith to question is that of our faith. You do not have to get in a game of comparing faith, just make sure your faith is for real.

Psalm 131

This is the 12th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

¹ My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.
² But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me.
³ O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.

It is amazing how a short psalm like Psalm 131 can ease our mind. The beauty of God’s Word is how the truth found in each verse can touch the heart of those who are not proud, who have quieted themselves so that the Spirit of God can renew that individual relationship between them and God.

How often do we try to put ourselves or others on a pedestal only to see how easy it is to fall off that pedestal? How often do we seem to have all the answers and then realize that the path we have charted is taking us in the wrong direction? How often do we let our thought become express words without going through the filtering system that we have developed during our experiences on this earth? Yet the opening verse of this Psalm gives us the advice that we need to avoid all these issues. The definition of pride found in the dictionary is: a high or inordinate opinion of one’s own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc. Synonyms for being proud include pride, conceit, self-esteem, egotism, and vanity can imply an elevated idea of the way we appear to others. The advantages, achievements, as well as the position that we attain in this life, often lead us to develop characteristics that creates an environment in which self-admiration takes over in our life. I recall one of my favorites saying in the days of my youth as “when you are good you are good, but when you are great you are like me!”. However, age can sometimes have a way of adjusting our attitudes, and where pride exist a fall is close behind.

Sooner or later we arrive at the place in our life after the fall from pride, that we realize that there are matters that we can’t handle and things that are now greater than your abilities to comprehend and explain. It is during these time that we either return again to the folly of starting over and doing things my way again, or finally stops and wait on God to make things happen. We daily face the challenge of doing it my way or waiting on God. There is a lot of pride in doing things my way, however, there is no rest. As I study the ministry of Christ, I realize that this psalm reflects the yoke that Christ refers to in Matthew chapter 11 verses twenty-five through thirty:

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure. “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Yes, to the wise and learned the hidden things of God are hidden. It is only when we realized that our hope is not the power that we have but that this hope awaits those that wait on God. So, if you are weary and burden with the issues of life then take Christ offer and take his yoke and learn from Him.

Psalm 130

This is the 11th psalm of the fifteen Song of Ascents psalms

¹ Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
² O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
³ If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
⁴ But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
⁵ I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
⁶ My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
⁷ O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
⁸ He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.

And not only did he redeemed Israel from all their sins, but also all who believe in Christ.

As I was studying A.W. Tozer’s book Knowledge Of The Holy I was impressed by his last chapter The Open Secret. The open secret that he discusses in this chapter is how can the Christian bring back the departed glory that is missing in the church today. I believe he starts in the right direction with the statement “Any forward step in the Church must begin with the individual.” The open secret is simple “acquaint thyself with God”. He has given us the realm of nature which we can experience his created power; however, as we see from Psalm nineteen the knowledge that man receives from the nature (natural revelation) only points him to God. Only by studying his Word daily can we experience the true fellowship with God that our spiritual nature seeks. Do not allow the things and the events of this world take away time from his Word. Open the scriptures and acquaint thyself with God. This is the best self-help book available. Heed the advice that Paul gave Timothy in II Timothy three:

But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.

Stay in God’s Word daily and you will find that your life will become complete.