Galatians 1:16-18 To reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the heathen: immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me: but I went into Arabia and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and abode with him fifteen days.
Matthew 6:11 Give us this day our daily bread
During my daily walks I will sometime use these moments as a time to let the Lord speak to me. To start this conversation, I will usually focus on a verse or a song to mediate on during his time. It is during these walks I would usually focus on the psalm I was studying for the next day devotional. However, during the last few weeks I was looking at Paul’s life as a new focus for my studies. It was during this time I came across Galatians 1:16-18. In these verses I realized that God did not reveal Jesus to him during this time, but God reveal Jesus in him. The importance of this truth revealed to me that it is not just knowing about Jesus, but it is letting Jesus into our life to become a part of us.
It was during these three years that Paul learned from the scriptures, the Old Testament, that it was Jesus who was the promised seed of the Eve, the seed of David, the promised Messiah. It was his day-by-day mediation on God’s word that reveal this truth to him. So now as I study daily the scriptures may my new goal be for God to reveal his son in me so that my daily life will reflect Christ in me.
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
Praising the Lord should be a daily activity for all believers. The closer our daily walk is with Jesus the greater we will see how the Lord works in our life. One of the characteristics of the Lord that was given to the angel of the church of Philadelphia in Revelations chapter three was that the Lord held the key of David. With this key whatever door, the Lord open no man could shut, and whatever door the Lord closed not man could open. To this church the Lord opened a door that no man could shut, because of its goods works, the keeping of his word, and not denying his name. This church represents a church or individual that truly praises the Lord with their whole heart.
If praising the Lord is just a place that you go to on Sunday it becomes just an empty weekly ritual. Like the other church pictured in Revelation, the church of Laodicea is this type of worshiper which is characterize as neither hot nor cold. Because of this lukewarmness God toss them away. This was the church were Christ is picture as standing outside and knocking at the door of an individual’s heart waiting to be invited in. This church was pictured as a church that did not have works pleasing God, but a church that was more incline to please the world around it. This church was characterized as a church that was wretched, miserable, poor, naked, and blind. It was a church where those that God loved he rebuke and chasten. It was a church that was in need of repentance.
So, as we walk with the Lord on a daily basis do we see the Lord opening or closing the doors of opportunity before us. In his book Amazing Grace by Kenneth W. Osbeck the author writes the following about the song Trust and Obey “Trust and Obey presents a balanced view of a believer’s trust in Chris’s redemptive work, and it speaks of the resulting desire to obey Him and to do His will in our daily life. Then, and only then do we experience real peace and joy.”. So, are you praising the Lord daily or just during the Sunday morning worship service? Are you living a life that experiences the open doors of opportunities like the church of Philadelphia or is the Lord knocking your heart’s door like the church of Laodicea waiting for you to open?
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visits him? (KJV)
This is another psalm that we learn at an early age in our life. This psalm speaks of a simple truth, the grandeur of God and the simplicity of man. Then the ungodly try to consider the wonders of this universe the first step they must take is to put God in a box and limit his ability to speak the universe into creation. However, as believers we must by faith understand that the universe was spoken into existence by God. In Hebrews 11:3,6 “By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek him.” (NAS)
When I consider thy heavens the work of thy hands do I really truly believe that God is the creator of this universe? As I study Hebrews chapter eleven the great chapter on faith I must consider the importance of verse three and verse six. One of the importance of characteristics of our faith is truly believing in God as the creator of the universe. In other words, God spoke, and the universe came into existent. Reading the creation story in Genesis chapter the reader will realize that each day of creation started with the phase “then God said”. God spoke and then the universe came into existence. So, an important step in the developmental growth of a believer’s faith is to believe in God as the creator of heaven and earth. Without this belief in God as the creator it is impossible to please Him since we must believe that God is who he says He is.
Peter also links the promise coming of Jesus to the belief a person has about the creation. In II Peter chapter three we are given the illustration of the conditions of the latter days. The last days will be characterized by scoffers following after their own lust. In their eyes they are right and have all the answers and take pride in all of the knowledge. They mock those who look for the second coming of the Lord. They look to the second coming of the Lord as a myth, just like the teaching of Noah’s flood found in Genesis chapters six and seven that destroy the ancient world as a myth. To them the world continues to evolve just as it has since it was created. To some of these scoffers the world could be millions or even a billion years old. They believe in the teaching of uniformitarianism that believes the geological ages tell the story of the earth and discounts the belief that God spoke, and the heavens and the earth came into creation.
So as your answer the question in verse three “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained” is your answer God or evolution? Does the story of the creation of the heavens and the earth found in Genesis form the basic foundation for your belief in creation? However, the second question address in verse four “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visit him?” opens up the question how mankind fits into God’s universe. How can a very, very small part of God’s creation (mankind) fully understands how this universe came into existence. The answer is (we can’t), so when it comes to my understanding of creation, I must make my decision faith and not by the beliefs of those that reject God.
1 Truly my soul waits upon God: from him cometh my salvation.
2 He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
3 How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.
4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
5 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved.
7 In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.
9 Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.
10 Trust not in oppression and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.
11 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongs unto God.
12 Also unto thee, O Lord, belongs mercy: for thou render to every man according to his work. (KJV)
As I read this psalm today it shed a lot of light on the verse found in Matthew: 13:23 “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.” What is the seed? It is the word of God. Therefore, the harvest that is spoken here is not lost souls, or works that one does for the Lord, but your own personal growth in God’s word. Verse eight in this psalm points to three areas that a Christian needs to focus on: walk in faith and lean not on your own understanding (trust Him), a life devoted to prayer (pour out your heart to Him) and applying Romans 12:19 in your life “Dear friends never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.” so make God your refuge. Ask these questions to yourself today: did I let God’s word grow in me today? Did I surrender to sinful acts or ways, or did I look to God’s Word for direction in my decision making today? And last of all did I really believe his word even when I read a sentence like verse twelve in this psalm “Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.”
This sentence from Oswald Chambers’ book My Utmost for His Highest from the reading on December 9 “It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence and self-assertiveness, and this is where the battle has to be fought” reflects the life that we must live. The last part of verse twelve reads “Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done” points to the direction we must live our life as we go about our day-by-day activities. Are we living our life for the rewards that the world heaps upon us or are we heeding the words of I John 2:15, 16 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world”. Going back to the Psalm one we must realize that there are only two directions in which we walk: the way of the righteous or the way of the wicked. Therefore, when we consider our rewards for walking in the way of the righteous, we must look carefully at this chapter and considering this verse.
My soul finds rest in God this verse points to our faith. Do we trust God and lean not on our own understanding.
My salvation comes from Him, I cannot earn it nor deserve it
2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle forever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.
6 Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations.
7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows. (KJV)
This is another Psalm that David wrote during one of the times that he was facing opposition from his enemy. It is interesting as one studies David life how much of his struggles dealt with those close to him, such as Saul, his own family, and his own group of advisors. Yet as we look at the struggles we face in life, they are usually with the close circles of family, whose whom we work with, neighbors, or the groups that we associate with in our free time.
As I study this psalm today, I realize the importance of a King in my life. Aging is a process in which we see the world of an infant expand from a small family unit into the community around him and then deflate in the later years back to the small family unit or a close inner circle of friends. In this process, man moves from a secure environment to a world of uncertainty and then tries to move back to a secure environment in his later days on this earth. Security is the second level on Maslow’s Hierarchic Pyramid of Needs. It is this area that people seek to conquer once their Physiological needs are met. However, the Psalmist realizes that it is the good Shepherd that meets both our Physiological needs as well as our secure needs. This good shepherd person is also our King Christ Jesus.
As we study the gospels we are introduced to Christ. So, as I study this psalm today my prayer is simply to be more like Christ. My prayer is to abide in him. John writes these words to us in I John 3:6-8:
Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins hath not seen him, neither knows him. My little children let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Yes, I know I need a King in my life and that King is Christ. He is the one I praise and the one to whom I will seek to fulfill my vows. The key to serving him is for me to put off the old nature and strive to put on his nature. This starts by striving to live a blameless (however not perfect) life.
1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusts in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be over past.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performs all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have dug a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth. (KJV)
This is another psalm of David as he fled from Saul into the caves. David’s starts out this psalm off in the same manner as he did in psalm 56. He asks for God’s mercy as he takes refuge in him.
Key Facts:
We must ask for mercy because we have no righteousness to stand on.
God has provided a refuge for us and that is where we need to hide.
God has his purpose for me.
God does save me.
He rebukes those who are against his chosen.
David’s faith was steadfast and so must our faith in God.
The wicked will falls into their own traps.
I will praise Him. Why?
For great is His Love.
Great is His faithfulness
And He alone is exalted.
As I read verse two “I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills {his purpose} for me” it takes me back to Matthew 26:39 where Jesus prays “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” as his purpose. David did become the king of Israel as God purposed him to be as we will someday be made Christ-like when Christ appears the second time. However, until this event takes place, we must that refuge in the shadow of God’s wing and pray the same prayer that Christ our example prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. It is God who fulfills his purpose, not us fulfilling the purpose that God has given us. As a good soldier puts his life on the line to fulfill the military commander’s objectives so must we put on life and our dreams on the line to serve Christ.
When studying David’s life at this time in his life, we must realize that he was going through a period of self-examination. Everything that he believed was being tested. At this time, he was surrounded by a small band of followers who like him was running and hiding. It is a setting like this that even when you are part of a group you still feel like you are alone with God. It is in these times of testing that God will slowly work to transform us to be making according to His purpose.
This period is David’s life was probably very difficult for developing his relationship to God. One of the greatest life lessons I have learn from my studies in the Psalms and the study of David’s life is how amazing the relationship that an individual can have with the Creator of this universe. In Philippians 3:10 Paul writes these words about his relationship to Christ “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death”. One of Paul’s greatest desires was to be made conformable unto the death of Christ. As we study the individuals from the scriptures, we witness the personnel relationship they had with God. So in times of testing, we must be like David and not forsake God, but wait on him to reveal his purpose to us.
Today was one of those days I was able to enjoy the day walking the beach. My hobby of course is shark tooth hunting and today was a good day. But these walks of mine also gives me time away from the noise of the world just to reflect on the greatness of the love that God has shown mankind. Just to think that God love us so much that He not only provide for our redemption from sin but through his spirit opens up a wonderful personal fellowship with Him. As Psalm one points out there are two ways to make our journey through life, the godly way or the ungodly way. David wrote in Psalm 139:1-6 the wonders of this relationship with God.
1 O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it (KJV)
It is wonderful that we have a creator as wonderful as God.
My 5 Daily Psalms 