Psalm 52

1 Why boast thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endures continually.

2 The tongue devises mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

3 Thou loves evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

4 Thou loves all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy thee forever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:

7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himself in his wickedness.

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

9 I will praise thee forever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints. (KJV)

To better understand this psalm the reader should read the account recorded in I Samuel chapter twenty-two where Doeg the Edomite informed Saul that David has gone to the house of Ahimelech. This was the start of David’s journey in his life that he was fleeing for his life from the presence of Saul.  This time period in his life probably lasted about seven years. During these seven years of David’s life, he was considered a criminal of the state and was hunt by Saul and his army.  Yet during this time he placed, his hope and trust in the Lord. So, no matter what comes into your life remember this truth; the righteous will see and fear. I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever.

As you live your life on this earth, do you live it in the light of today’s rewards or the rewards that eternality offers? Have you made God our stronghold and the one who will guide you, or have you made yourself the controller of your life? In Philippians 4 Paul gives us an example of how to handle disputes. The key is to agree with each other in the Lord. However, this does not always happen. So, Paul gives us these final instructions on handling disputes in Philippians 4:8,9 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you”. This is the path we must follow when we make God our stronghold.

However, how do we truly make our daily decisions? How do we handle the daily tough situation around us, which forces us to make tough decisions? One of the keys to making good decisions is found in the principles that Paul outlines for us in Philippians 4:8, 9. However, I have come to realize in the last several years that following these principles and being Christ-like is not an easy task. Consider what Paul is saying in these verses:

• whatever is true
• whatever is noble
• whatever is right
• whatever is pure
• whatever is lovely
• whatever is admirable
• if anything is excellent or praiseworthy
• THEN think about such things

These principles taken individuality are easy to understand, however when taken as a group can cause much confusion. That is why verse eight ends in the phase “if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things” or as Psalm 1 states “mediate”. As I look into God’s Word daily and see his word, reflecting back on the imperfections of my daily activity I am reminded how much I need my Bible study to get me started every morning. Just as my looking into a mirror in the morning reflects back my physical appearances that must be corrected before I go out and face the world each morning, God’s Word reveals the things in my life that are not true, noble, right, pure, lovely, or admirable. Therefore, we must mediate and think about all things in light of these six attributes working together. David’s life is a great example of this process. Samuel had anointed him to be the next King of Israel. That was truth? However, these verses were written as he was running from Saul and being treated as a criminal of the state. Should he not stand up and fight for what was rightfully his position, knowing that God had rejected Saul and chosen David to be the next King? What was noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable? What route then should David take to secure this kingdom that that he was anointed to take? This was the issue that David was facing in this Psalm.

In John 1:10-12 it states of Christ “He was in the world and though the world was made by him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Christ came to this earth two thousand years ago as King, and yet the world rejected him and crucified him on the cross. Just as David was rejected by Israel to take his rightful place during the time of this psalm, Christ also was rejected by the world when he came to earth the first time. Why did he not take the world by force since he was the King of Kings? This is a mystery that many struggles with, “why does God not intervene immediately to right the wrongs in this world?” To me the answer is simple, He did. The answer is Christ. As I study the psalms, I have seen several features in David’s life that seem to reflect in Christ’s earthly ministry. The three characters in this psalm, God, the evil, and the righteous are the three main characters in the world around us today. By studying the psalms, may I learn the principles of Philippians 4:8, 9 and apply them to my life. May I like David learn to rely totally on the Lord, for guidance and direction!

Opinion is defined as a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind about a particular matter. In a stronger form, it means a formal expression of judgment or advice by an expert upon which a legal decision is based. It is opinions that either bring people together or divides people into different groups. What happens when the mighty men of a nation look at their evil ways and call them good? How do we make a stand against these evil ways? Do we wait on God, or do we make a stand and fight against evil? Sometimes it seems the route in which the righteous chose to make their stand against evil practices results in greater separation in the forces against evil practices rather than the evil practices themselves. By studying David’s life, we can get a picture of what it means to truly wait on the Lord.

The very start of evil can be traced back to Satan. By studying Isaiah chapter fourteen, we see these I will use by the son of the morning:

I will ascend into heaven

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God

I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north.

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.

I will make myself like the Most High.

Evil is simply going against the way of God. As I looked at this Psalm today in light of Isaiah fourteen, I asked myself a simply question “Do I have the characteristics of a man that did not make God my stronghold or do I look to God to fulfill in me his daily purpose?” To answer this question, I went to Matthew chapter 20 verses one through fifteen:

For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that was a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing in the marketplace idle, and to them he said, go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again, he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing; and he saith unto them, why stand ye here all day idle? They say unto him, because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard. And when evening had come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a shilling. And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a shilling. And when they received it, they murmured against the householder, saying, these last have spent but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. But he answered and said to one of them, friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a shilling? Take up that which is thine and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good?

The characters:

Householder

12-hour Laborers for a shilling a day

9 hours Laborers for whatsoever is right

6 hours Laborers for whatsoever is right

3 hours Laborers for whatsoever is right

1-hour Laborers for whatsoever is right

The Plot:

A householder hired workers at different times to work in his vineyard. He agreed with the first to pay them a shilling for their day’s work. The others hired during the day were promised to be paid with the promise of whatsoever is right. At the end of the day, the householder paid the last to start to work a shilling and continue to pay the reminder of the workers a shilling. These who worked longer expected to be paid more, but they were not. Then they murmured against him. The householder’s answer was simple “I did you no wrong I paid you what we agreed to.” Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with mine own?

Ask yourself these questions about this parable and then truly apply the answers to these questions to the way you live your life: 

          Was the householder right in what he did?

          Whom does the householder represent?

          Whom do the laborers represent?

          Did the laborers who worked all day have a right to question the householder’s decision?

          How does this parable relate to evil?

          So, when I get to heaven how should I react to the prize that will be set before me?

Psalm 51

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou might be justified when thou speak, and be clear when thou judge.

5 Behold, I was shape in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou, my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desires not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delights not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. (KJV)

Have you ever judged someone and then find out that it was you who was wrong and guilty of the issue? This is David’s psalm to Nathan’s remark in II Samuel 12:7 “Thou art the man”. It is only when we see our sinfulness before God that we come to the point of realization of our own fallen nature. As I read this psalm, I must go to I Kings 15:5 “because David did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and turned not aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite”. This psalm along with psalm 32 was written as a result of this sin. Every time I read this psalm; I realized that a life without God’s presence is a life in which there is brokenness.

In verse, one David comes to God for mercy and the blotting out of his transgression. In verse two, he adds wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. David knew he had sinned; he felt the need for cleansing and knew that this cleansing could only come from God. As you read the rest of this psalm, you should be able to notice one of the major characteristics of God and that is his unfailing love and his great compassion. How do you get right with God after you have sinned and done evil in the sight of the Lord? Read psalms 51 and 32 and let the Holy Spirit speak to you through these verses to restore the joy of your salvation and renew a steadfast spirit within you. Then you will have a purpose in life and that is to teach transgressors God’s way and turn them to Him.

One of the greatest truths that one learns in life is the importance of relationships. This psalm represents a time in David’s life where he had abandoned the ways of God to protect himself and others from public shame. Yet his plans to protect these relationships did not work. As a believer, we need to realize the truth about sin, and that truth is that all sin is known by God. Another truth about sin is that it affects relationships. The family relationship is usually the strongest relationship that people have in this world, and yet the bond of this relationship can easily be broken when sin enters the picture. There is also the relationship that we have with God. This psalm focuses on the only way to restore a broken relationship and that way is through repentance and returning back to God’s ways. Verse 6 makes God’s way simple, God desires truth in our inner parts He desires to have His laws written on our heart. So, if you are facing a broken relationship today know that unless you are coming to God with a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you will not be able to have true joy and peace in your heart.

This leads to another truth I see in the world today but cannot fully understand. Why do we let sin rule our life and wreck relationships, when God has provided a way for all relationships to be restored by his great gift of forgiveness? As I study the story of Cain and Abel, found in Genesis chapter four I see God’s love being rejected by Cain before he killed Abel. In addition, even after Cain killed Abel God placed a mark on Cain to protect him from others. Yet Cain still went out of God’s presence. Why then do individuals who have been once enlightened and who have tasted the heavenly gift fall away? The Lord gives reasons for this falling away in his parable of the Sower found in Matthew chapter thirteen. In this parable, the seed (God’s Word) falls on four types of soils: the soil of the wayside, the rocky soil, the soil among the thorns, and the good soil. In the first case, the word is heard but Satan takes it away from them. In the second case the word is heard but is soon abandon when tribulation or persecution comes along in a person’s life. In the third case the cares of this world choke out the word and the person does not grow and becomes fruitful. However, in the fourth case, the word is heard and by applying that, life becomes fruitful. Do you let the Word of God grow in you, or does Satan, the cares of this world, or the desires of this world destroy the effects that the Word could have on your life.

Verses 6 and 7 “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.” describes the nature of man. As a child grows the sweetness that the newborn child processed gives way to the true sinful nature, which we all are, have at birth. The desires of the child turn to me, me, me. However, God is always calling to us to return to Him. His desire for us is to have truth within our hearts and wisdom within our inmost place. Therefore, as a young child, we must heed the call of God. This simple concept of God’s desire seems to get lost in our everyday routine of living. We let Satan, the cares of this world, or the desires of this world rob us of a desire that God wants for us in our life. In the devotion for June 11 in his book, My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers writes:

The questions that truly, matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words— “Come to Me.” Our Lord’s words are not, “Do this, or don’t do that,” but— “Come to me.” If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life.

This is what David is writing here in this Psalm. As I look back in my life as well as the life of other Christians I know or have known; it was not our seeking after God that brought God in our lives, but it was the way that we responded to the seeking God as we opened the door to our heart and let him enter our inmost place to dwell. Once we open the door and receive Him then the true transformation of bringing our life into this harmony with His desires takes place and we can experience the peace that passes understanding.

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

1 The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

3 Our God shall come and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.

5 Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice.

6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.

7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.

8 I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me.

9 I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds.

10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High:

15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou should take my covenant in thy mouth?

17 Seeing thou hates instruction and casts my words behind thee.

18 When thou saw a thief, then thou consent with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.

19 Thou gives thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frames deceit.

20 Thou sit and speaks against thy brother; thou slander thine own mother’s son.

21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thought that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes.

22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.

23 Whoso offers praise glorify me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.  (KJV)

This is the first of twelve Psalms bear the name of Asaph. He was of high repute in the days of David and is mentioned as one of the main composers of the psalms. Asaph was certainly a prophet since he is called a seer. It seems from studying his writings that he was well educated and had a natural talent that made him well qualified to compose hymns or psalms in the honor of God. He also reflects the strong influence that David probably had on his life and his writings. Not only did he have a great grasp of the nature and attributes of God, but he also had a keen understanding of the corrupt nature of man. This knowledge probably was strengthening as the result of positions he held while serving in David’s reign. During his lifetime he witness a time in which there was great changes, since during his lifetime he probably witness the reign of the first three Kings of Israel. It was during his lifetime that the history of Israel saw some of its great changes. These changes brought about much displeasure from God, yet God still watched over his people by giving them David as their King. He probably lived during the period of Saul’s kingdom, and then was involved in David’s kingdom and was probably even alive and wrote during the reign of Solomon. As you read these psalms the prophetic characteristics of Asaph writings seems to have include a lot of the historical past of Israel as examples of God’s dealings with his people then and how this relationship will continue with his people in the presence as well as in the future. This is the only one of his psalms that stands alone. The others start with Psalm 73 and continue to Psalm 83.

This psalm speaks of God judging his people as well as the wicked. As I read this psalm I must also look to the words of Christ found in John 5: 24-30 where he speaks as having been granted the judge of mankind by the Father. God gave this authority to him because he is the Son of Man (verse 27). However, Christ also refers to himself as the Son of God in verse twenty-five. As I consider verse twenty-two of this psalm “Consider this you who forget God” in relationship to the verses in John chapter five I realize that the view that one has of Christ will affect their behavior on earth, and their judgment for eternity. Christ’s testimony was that he has been performing the task that the father had given him. Does your testimony reflect the task that Christ has given you? The first step in this process knows Christ as your Lord.

The last two verses set the stage for all of mankind.  There are only two ways, God way or the ungodly way.  One way is having God direct your way and the other way is living with God.  The warning to all mankind is found in these two verses.  “Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:” is a warning that yes you can live your life without God, and do things your way; however, God will not be there to rescue you, even in death.  “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God” are the ones who walk in God’s way.  They recognize their sinfulness and are thankful for his salvation and their new desire is to take on the nature of the new creation that has been given to them though the redemptive work of Christ.  Romans 12:1,2 are verses that all believers should memorize and meditate on day and night.

Psalm 49

1 Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:

2Both low and high, rich and poor, together.

3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

4 I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

5 Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

6 They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:

8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceases forever:)

9 That he should still live forever, and not see corruption.

10 For he sees that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others.

11 Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

12 Nevertheless man being in honor abides not: he is like the beasts that perish.

13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approves their sayings. Selah.

14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.

17 For when he dies, he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him.

18 Though while he lived, he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou do well to thyself.

19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

20 Man that is in honor, and understands not, is like the beasts that perish. (KJV)

As you look at these verses, try to picture yourself listening to Christ preaching his messages from the hills of Galilee. The message that Christ is preaching is to answer the statement: No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him the ransom for a life is costly; no payment is ever enough that he should live on forever and not see decay.  Let’s face it we cannot redeem our life. As we read this psalm, we realize that all can see that wise men die; the foolish and the senseless alike perish and leave their wealth to others. There is no way that man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings.

However, there is a way, and it is also in his message: But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.

This psalm continues with a warning for us: “Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Though while he lived, he counted himself blessed and men praise you when you prosper, he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of life. A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.”  That understanding of verse twenty of this psalm can be found in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life,”  and I John 5:12” He that hath the son hath life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

One event that a person will experience as they grow older is the end of a life of a loved one or someone who is close to them. Yes, I am writing about a funeral. I experienced my first funeral (my father’s) when I was only fifteen. Then four months later, I attended the funeral of my brother. So, at the age fifteen when most young adolescence were enjoying the experience of youth, I had already lost a father and a brother and started the process of asking God the hard questions of life. Today as I was attending the funeral of a friend’s father, I realized that understanding one’s life is like putting together a puzzle. As I study Psalms 139:16, “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” I realize that God has the top of the puzzle box with the picture. We are the ones that have to put together the pieces of the puzzle of life.

Sometimes our personal beliefs come into conflict with the world and even those who are close to us.  This psalm has the greatest promise for all of mankind.  The promise of redeeming us from the grave.  Jesus spoke this promise to Nicodemus in their discourse that is recorded in John 3:1-21.  Jesus used the example of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness as the way God was going provided as the way to redeem our life.   Jesus explained that his only purpose of being send by God to this earth was to save man from the curse of sin.  We either believe in Christ, or we do not and reject him.  Believing in Jesus will change the way we walk in this world.  Knowing that there is so much more after we die and leave this world that the things of this life does not have as much attraction to us as it did in the past.  I can now live a life that does not fear death. 

Psalm 48

1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.

2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.

4 For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

5 They saw it, and so they marveled; they were troubled, and hasted away.

6 Fear took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail.

7 Thou break the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah.

9 We have thought of thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.

10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.

11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of thy judgments.

12 Walk about Zion and go round about her: tell the towers thereof.

13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death. (KJV)

Reading this psalm, I am reminded that there are forces that are making advance against our God.  It happened in heaven as well as it is now taking place on earth. As I consider the many voices of society today, I can understand why those who have chosen to be close to God and seek to live a blameless life are quiet. These are the ones that I believe have the same lifestyles as the seven thousand found in I King 19:18 ” Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.” These are the ones today who have abandoned the desires to chase after the Jones or seek the fame and riches that this world seeks to give. They are the ones that know God and enjoy the simple pleasures of life that he bestows upon them. They are the ones that like Abraham know that they are just on a journey and that their real treasures are in heaven, Mt Zion, the city of God. They meditate on God’s unfailing love and trust in his judgments. They do not have to prove to the world that God is on their side, because they have the peace of God within their heart that assures them that the Lord Almighty is their God.

Verse fourteen “For this God is our God for ever and ever: he will be our guide even unto death.” Is a verse that we must apply to our everyday life.  As we travel on this journey through our time on this earth, we will face the ups and downs that come along the path we travel.  During the high points and victories, we usually do not have a problem praising the Lord; but sometimes when our paths get dark and there seems no light or assistance from above, we become discourage and look for help from other sources than the Lord.  It is in the darkness of these moments when we need to reach in the riches of God’s Word (Bible) for light.  It is the simple songs that we learn as a child that are the deepest in meaning. 

Examples:

The BIBLE yes that the book for me.

It stands for God.

Yes, the Word of God.

The BIBLE.

My God is so big, so great and so powerful.

There nothing my God cannot do.

These two songs I use to teach to the two-year-old children their Sunday School class.  These songs like this psalm are words that we need to hide in our heart and pull them out as lights when darkness starts to crept along our pathway.   

Psalm 47

1 O clap your hands, all ye people: shout unto God with the voice of triumph.

2 For the Lord most high is terrible; he is a great King over all the earth.

3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

4 He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom he loved. Selah.

5 God is gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises.

7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

8 God reigns over the heathen: God sits upon the throne of his holiness.

9 The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong unto God: he is greatly exalted. (KJV)

In this psalm God is portrayed as the King over all the earth.  He is the one that will subdue both the people and the nations under his feet.  He is the one that choose Israel inheritance for them.  His throne is characterizing as a throne of holiness.  This is a psalm that points to the Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

Reading this psalm this morning, I stop and reflected about all the influences that have already occurred today in my life.  In the past on my daily commute to work every morning I would listen either to the radio or to my CDs on the scriptures. As I listen to radio, it seems that half of the time I am listening to advertising that makes claims on how to improve and make your life better and more productive. Yet, most of this claim leaves out one major compound and that is God. By reading the psalms daily, the reader will soon truly grasp how awesome the Lord really is in heaven and on earth. When I listen to these claims that promise to give me a great and better life, they leave out God.

The commercials usually have one purpose and that is to make the person or company offering them a profit. When hearing these claims, I have to reflect on the very fall of man in the Garden of Eden.  Adam took the fruit from his wife who had taken it from the serpent, who had convinced her that there was more to life than God had provided. He convinced Eve and she convinced Adam “that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise”. However, after they eat of the fruit, their eyes was opened and they saw their own nakedness.

I see the same with all the claims that the world offers us today. Even the claims of most Christian ministries seem to fall short of meeting the needs and desires of fallen man. Unless fallen man truly returns to a dependence on God, he will perish just like the beast of the field. As Psalm 49: 20 states “A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish”. However, when we truly get to a point in our life that we trust God and pursue a desire to live a blameless life in the light of his Word, then we will see that he will cloth us in His glory. How awesome would our lives be if our daily routines in this world would truly reflect our true dependence upon God to manage the affairs of our life?

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.

3 Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

6 The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

8 Come; behold the works of the Lord, what desolation he hath made in the earth.

9 He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and cuts the spear in sunder; he burns the chariot in the fire.

10 Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth.

11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (KJV)

Sometimes as we study God’s Word, we just look at the words and apply them to our life. This Psalm was a song created for the worship of God.  It was probably written during the time that Assyria was attacking Judah under the reign of King Hezekiah.  In II Kings 19:35 “And it came to pass that night that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred four-score and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, they were all dead corpses.” might have set the stage for this psalm.  God is the subject of this song. The theme of this psalm starting with verse one and as it continues to the last verse it is God that takes care of us. God is our refuge and strength; then why do we fear? David’s theme in this Psalm is centered on the concept of faith. His faith was a total trust in God to intervene in every aspect of his life. He realized that nothing is too small or too large for the Lord.

Verse ten of this Psalm gives the believer the way of God to approach the troubles, which we face as we complete our journey upon the face of this earth. Be still and know that I am God is the advice that for several believers do not have the time available to practice. This is a way of God that will test our faith and the more we grow in this way the more we will see his hand in the smallest activities that we pursue. This goes against the wise old saying of “God helps those who help themselves”. The problem that most believers have with dealing with the everyday issues in life is that this wise old saying seems to have a greater impact on their life then verse ten does. Try waiting on God as a way of walking in his way.

Reading this Psalm, I reflect upon the last two chapters of the Bible. Revelation twenty-one starts with this verse ” And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away and the sea is no more. There is a time in the future where everything I have worked for will be destroyed, the works of both my hands and my mind. However, the one that overcomes can inherit the things of the new heaven and the new earth.  We need to stop (cease from fighting) striving for our earthly desires and behold the works of the Lord.   When the things of this earth slowly diminish as the focus of our journey in this world; then the light of the eternal treasures will grow even brighter in our life.

Psalm 45

1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore, God hath blessed thee forever.

3 Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty.

4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; whereby the people fill under thee.

6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of thy kingdom is a right scepter.

7 Thou loves righteousness, and hates wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.

8 All thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, whereby they have made thee glad.

9 Kings’ daughters were among thy honorable women: upon thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir.

10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father’s house.

11 So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord; and worship thou him.

12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.

13 The king’s daughter is all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold.

14 She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee.

15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought: they shall enter into the king’s palace.

16 Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children, whom thou may make princes in all the earth.

17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore, shall the people praise thee forever and ever.  (KJV)

This psalm can only refer to one person and that is Christ. The writer of the book of Hebrews uses this verse in chapter one to introduce Christ, God’s son, as the one who has provided purification for sins and is now seated at the right hand of God in heaven. This process of our growth in understanding why God provide redemption through Christ for mankind is a mystery I cannot fully understand; however, it is psalms such as this psalm that makes it so real to me. Paul states it better in Philippians 3:8 as I count all things loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. The goal of this knowledge is to be found in him and to obtain the righteousness that is provided by our faith in him. The end result is that we will know Christ and that the new life given to us by the result of his resurrection and by our partaking in his suffering will make us more Christ like so that we will become sons of God. No wonder this psalm starts out with the phase “My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the King”. When studying the Bible, I hope that Christ is the noble theme that you look for in your studies.

As I study this chapter I am reminded of the song “Tell me the Story of Jesus” that I learn many years ago.   I remember this song from working on a dairy farm during the early years of my youth.  As we were milking the cows the radio would be tuned in to a Christian broadcasting station and this story would be played on air a lot in the early 1960’s.  This is a song that all believers should learn and place within their heart.  This song was written by Frances Crosby

Tell Me The Story Of Jesus,
Write On My Heart Every Word!
Tell Me The Story Most Precious,
Sweetest That Ever Was Heard.

Tell How The Angels In Chorus
Sang, As They Welcomed His Birth,
‘Glory To God In The Highest,
Peace And Good Tidings To Earth.’

Fasting Alone In The Desert,
Tell Of The Days That He Passed;
How He Was Tried And Was Tempted,
Yet Was Triumphant At Last.

Tell Of The Years Of His Labors,
Tell Of The Sorrows He Bore;
He Was Despised And Afflicted,
Homeless, Rejected, And Poor.

Tell Of The Cross Where They Nailed Him,
Dying In Anguish And Pain;
Tell Of The Grave Where They Laid Him;
Tell How He Liveth Again.
Love, In That Story So Tender,
Clearer Than Ever I See;
Stay, Let Me Weep While You Whisper
Love Paid The Ransom For Me.

Refrain:
               Tell Me The Story Of Jesus,
          Write On My Heart Every Word,
          Tell Me The Story Most Precious,
          Sweetest That Ever Was Heard.

David also probably had many songs that he learned as a child telling the story of the provisions that the Lord had provided for the nation of Israel in the past.  We see many examples of these in the Psalms.  These are the values that we must pass down to our children and grandchildren.   

Psalm 44

1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

2 How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and planted them; how thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

 arm save them: but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favor unto them.

4 Thou art my King, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.

5 Through thee will we push down our enemies: through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

6 For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

7 But thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

8 In God we boast all the day long and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

9 But thou hast cast off and put us to shame; and goes not forth with our armies.

10 Thou makes us to turn back from the enemy: and they which hate us spoil for themselves.

11 Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.

12 Thou sells thy people for nought, and dost not increase thy wealth by their price.

13 Thou makes us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

14 Thou makes us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

15 My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

16 For the voice of him that reproaches and blasphemes, by reason of the enemy and avenger.

17 All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

18 Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way.

19 Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

21 Shall not God search this out? for he knows the secrets of the heart.

22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Awake, why sleeps thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off forever.

24 Wherefore hides thou thy face, and forgets our affliction and our oppression?

25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaves unto the earth.

26 Arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake.  (KJV)

Romans 11:25 “For I do not want you brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel be saved; just as it is written, The Deliver will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob, and this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”  In Romans chapter eleven Paul expounds on how God has not rejected His people but for a space of time until the completeness of the fulness of the Gentiles they will be in darkness.  Consider carefully the words found in verses nine through twenty-six as you study this psalm:

But thou hast cast off and put us to shame.

And goes not forth with our armies.

Thou make us to turn back from the enemy.

They which hate us spoil for themselves.

Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat.

Thou hast scattered us among the heathen.

Thou sell thy people for nought.

Thou dost not increase thy wealth by their price.

Thou make us a reproach to our neighbors.

We are a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

Thou make us a byword among the heathen.

We are a shaking of the head among the people.

My confusion is continually before me.

The shame of my face hath covered me,

For the voice of him those reproaches and blasphemes, by reason of the enemy and avenger.

All this comes upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee.

Neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way.

Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death.

If we have forgotten the name of our God or stretched out our hands to a strange god.

Shall not God search this out? for he knows the secrets of the heart.

Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Awake, why sleeps thou, O Lord? arise, cast us not off forever.

Wherefore hides thou thy face and forgets our affliction and our oppression.

For our soul is bowed down to the dust: our belly cleaves unto the earth.

Arise for our help and redeem us for thy mercies’ sake. 

This is the reply to verses one through eight in this chapter. 

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us. 

What work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.

How thou didst drive out the heathen with thy hand and planted them.

How thou didst afflict the people and cast them out.

How your arm saves them: by thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance.

          Because thou hadst a favor unto them.

Thou art my King, O God: command deliverance for Jacob.

Through thee will we push down our enemies.

Through thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me.

But thou hast saved us from our enemies.

Thou hast put them to shame that hated us.

          In God we boast all the day long and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

The history of the Jewish people is not only a history of a religion, but of a nation of people who have been scattered by God unto the utter ends of the earth.  Their history begins with Abraham around four thousand years ago through his son Isaac. For almost two thousand years after Isaac, we can read how they grew from a small tribe of people to a small nation living and serving the Pharoah in Egypt to a becoming a nation in the Middle East.  For almost fifteen hundred years we can study the rise and fall of this nation from being a group of tribes to a strong nation under three kings and then becoming two divide nations which will then go into captivity and then return to rebuild again.   

And yet in the nearly two thousand years after the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. by the Romans and the scattering of the Jewish people throughout the entire world they have still retain their national identity over these last two thousand years.  Now for the last seventy-six years Israel is back in land that they can call home.  They have look to this promise return throughout their history and it has now come to past.  Verses nine through twenty-six in this psalm could reflect how the probably felt the last two thousand years.  Reflecting back to Paul’s words in Roman 11:25 “partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; and thus all Israel be saved” could point to the return of our Lord in the near future.  

Verse twenty-two “Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered” is used by Paul in Romans 8:36 in response to the question “If God is for us who can be against us”.  In the past my daughter and I would race to see who could quote Romans 8:28 the fastest. It was my desire to make this verse real in her life, since I knew her Christian walk in this life would not be easy. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” is the verse that states the conclusion of Paul’s discussion on living your life through the spirit. When studying the book of Romans, we realize that we were born in sin and we do not seek God, but it was God who seeks after us and provided a way back to Him through Christ that we might become sons of God.  Therefore, to understand this psalm in light of Romans chapter eight we must understand that the world lives according to the sinful nature of the old man, and we live according to the spiritual nature of the new man. These two natures have two different masters with two different goals: Christ and glorifying God, man and glorifying man. When we take on the spiritual nature, we take on the nature of a servant just as Christ did when he was on this earth. This new nature then seeks Christ and ways of glorifying God.

When we study the scripture, we must realize that God’s will for man is that we become sons of God. Therefore, it is important that all believers know and completely understand the effects that the fall of man (found in Genesis 3) had on the relationship of God and man that existed before the fall. Before the fall man walk with God, after the fall man hid from God. Christ though his death on the cross has renewed the relationship between God and man. The relationship that existed before the fall (found in Genesis 3) has been restored to man through Christ.

Psalm 43

1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

(KJV)

This psalm is similar to psalm forty-two, however he does request two things: God’s light and God’s truth.   This light and truth can be found in Christ.  As I age and see the events happening in the world, today I cannot help but reflect on this time in David’s life.  Samuel had anointed David as a young lad to become the next king of Israel.  David was probably only thirteen or fourteen at that time.   I am not sure how much this affected his life at the time of the anointing, but soon after he was in the courts of Saul playing his harp for him as well as being one of his armor-bearers. 

Verse three “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell”.  Your light and your truth refer to God’s Word and teachings.  As I reflect back on my life, I realized how God uses the events in our life to shape us.  At age thirteen I entertained myself in the evening by reading.  The books I read were Arthur Maxwell’s Children Bible Stories.  These ten books gave me a wonderful understanding of the Bible.  This led me to a deeper desire to study the Bible.  Studying the examples in God’s Word will give us the hope that David writes in verse five. 

My office contains several hundred commentaries and religious books about the Bible.  Many of these books on how to study your Bible, or how to apply the life application of the scriptures in your life can add insight my daily studies; but they can never replace the daily reading of the Bible in my life.  The more I study the scriptures, the more the Holy Spirit opens my eyes to the truth of God.  To me the Bible is the living Word of God.  In this psalm verse three states “Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell”.  As I study the gospel of John, I realized that this light and truth is Christ.  So the more I know about Jesus and the more I let him direct my paths the closer I get to the place that God dwells.