Ps 92:12-15 "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, 15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him." NIV
Oh the benefits of a righteous life! This passage celebrates the value of living rightly before God. God has given us a promise to flourish! Like a palm tree or a cedar of Lebanon that has been planted in the house of the Lord, cared for by the attentiveness of the dedicated priests who jealously nurture everything under their care, the righteous will flourish under the attentive care of a holy God! God is watching over you with the same attention that the priests cared for all that was under their care within the temple of God. Imagine the devotion to excellence that a dedicated priest must have possessed as they considered that every detail of the temple’s beauty was a reflection of the glory of the God whom they served. In the same way God attentively watches over the righteous because of this same principle. He is fiercely devoted to those who are fiercely devoted to Him because of His continued awareness that every life lived completely for Him is a reflection of His glory into the earth.
The psalmist has captured this concept beautifully in these few verses as He portrays life spent in nearness to God as life that will flourish. When our ways are pleasing to the Lord He brings us near to Himself and where God’s presence is flowing in abundance all that dwells within that presence flourishes. Consider the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve dwelled in the presence of God and all that was found there flourished in the midst of God’s empowering presence. Man is no longer in the Garden of God, but now through the gift of God, for every person made righteous through the blood of Christ, the Garden of God is now in us! And once again, where God is present, everything flourishes. God is perfect and upright, with no wickedness in Him and the more we give ourselves to Him in ever increasing purity, the more He gives Himself to us in ever increasing revelation! Truly Matt 5:8 states our hope and confidence,
“the pure in heart… will see God.”
This passage in Psalm 92 carries with it an additional encouragement for the righteous; the hope of longevity. Many people live their lives in pursuit of a moment of glory or a season of breakthrough. The power of Psalm 92:12-15 is the promise of sustained fruitfulness. Not only will the righteous flourish but we have the promise that we will stay fresh and green. Too many people enter the later seasons of their lives with a withered heart. Life seems to have drained them of hope and vision and they enter a season of decline into a place where they are simply waiting to be “taken home” to be with the Lord. This should not be! Psalm 92 gives us the promise of fruitfulness for the length of our days. Do not accept a withered life! DO NOT ACCEPT A LIFE WITHOUT PURPOSE! If you are still on the earth you still have a calling to fulfill. Our roles may change from season to season but Psalm 92 gives us permission to expect fruit that flows from a life that is fresh and green even in our old age!!!! Do not surrender to the state of your body, press into God for a revelation of your purpose in Him for every season of life!
Friday
Psalm 92:6-7 - September 18, 2009
Ps 92:6-7 "The senseless man does not know, fools do not understand, 7 that though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they will be forever destroyed." NIV
There is a simple message in this short passage: “don’t live with a short sighted view of life!” This passage calls us to reflect on the realities of justice within the context of time. Too many people are short-sighted in their views of life and as a result form flawed conclusions about the value of living a righteous life. When we look around us in this world it is obvious that many evils exist. Evil people doing evil things and seemingly prospering in their ways, seemingly going about unchecked and unchallenged as they commit their acts of wickedness for the increase of their own personal ease and comfort or the benefits of those whom they serve.
When these things are considered from a temporal perspective it is tempting to consider the possible benefits of joining them in their pursuits. Many times it may appear that there is no justice and we are provoked to consider bringing accusation against God who portrays Himself to be just and good. When we see the suffering of those who are all around us we may be moved upon to consider the possibility that there is no God, or that if there is He cannot be all powerful, nor a God of love if these things exist. Jesus in His profound wisdom answered these accusations in part in Luke when He taught His disciples in Luke 6:20-21, 24-25 "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh…” "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.” The simple principle of this teaching is that God’s justice is fulfilled in eternity!
The pages of scripture continue this theme in many places and complete the message that the psalmist initiates in Psalm 92:6-7; “it is foolishness to believe that the wicked will succeed in their wickedness and that their deeds will go unpunished. It is a demonstration of a lack of understanding to neglect to consider the eternal punishment that awaits those who forsake God and His standards in this life.” They may succeed in their way for a season but God’s justice is swift and lasting when in due season it is released into any situation. Do not be tempted to accuse God but heed this calling to live with eternity in mind and you will understand both the mercy and justice of God. In His mercy God gives man a gracious period of time to turn from His sins and set his life in order before God, but in equal manor this window of opportunity to repent and turn towards God for forgiveness does come to an end and each man must face the judgment. This is clearly stated in Heb 9:27-28 which says: “… man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Are you waiting for His return?
There is a simple message in this short passage: “don’t live with a short sighted view of life!” This passage calls us to reflect on the realities of justice within the context of time. Too many people are short-sighted in their views of life and as a result form flawed conclusions about the value of living a righteous life. When we look around us in this world it is obvious that many evils exist. Evil people doing evil things and seemingly prospering in their ways, seemingly going about unchecked and unchallenged as they commit their acts of wickedness for the increase of their own personal ease and comfort or the benefits of those whom they serve.
When these things are considered from a temporal perspective it is tempting to consider the possible benefits of joining them in their pursuits. Many times it may appear that there is no justice and we are provoked to consider bringing accusation against God who portrays Himself to be just and good. When we see the suffering of those who are all around us we may be moved upon to consider the possibility that there is no God, or that if there is He cannot be all powerful, nor a God of love if these things exist. Jesus in His profound wisdom answered these accusations in part in Luke when He taught His disciples in Luke 6:20-21, 24-25 "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh…” "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.” The simple principle of this teaching is that God’s justice is fulfilled in eternity!
The pages of scripture continue this theme in many places and complete the message that the psalmist initiates in Psalm 92:6-7; “it is foolishness to believe that the wicked will succeed in their wickedness and that their deeds will go unpunished. It is a demonstration of a lack of understanding to neglect to consider the eternal punishment that awaits those who forsake God and His standards in this life.” They may succeed in their way for a season but God’s justice is swift and lasting when in due season it is released into any situation. Do not be tempted to accuse God but heed this calling to live with eternity in mind and you will understand both the mercy and justice of God. In His mercy God gives man a gracious period of time to turn from His sins and set his life in order before God, but in equal manor this window of opportunity to repent and turn towards God for forgiveness does come to an end and each man must face the judgment. This is clearly stated in Heb 9:27-28 which says: “… man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, 28 so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Are you waiting for His return?
Thursday
Psalm 92:5 - September 17, 2009
Ps 92:5 "How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!" NIV
Part 2
The psalmist’s reflection does not cease at the measure of God’s works, He compels us further to consider the measure of God’s thoughts and any who will dare to truly reflect upon this reality must be silenced before the expanse of God’s understanding and the ocean of His meditations. The greatest scientific minds of every age have spent their lives seeking to unravel the tiniest portions of understanding the smallest fragments of information that God holds within His thoughts. They celebrate with great joy and triumph each new breakthrough of understanding as they are able to peek through a peep hole of insight into the treasure chest of God’s scientific glories. They boast as they are able to understand some new truth about how man is designed or the universe is structured and yet the God who made all things holds the completeness of the knowledge and insight that we only see a small sliver of.
Even this reality, the measure of the scientific information that is contained within the mind of God is so minute in contrast to the whole of His thoughts. God’s mind is equally full of the measure of His character, His devotion, His values system and His daily choices for the good of mankind and yet the profoundness of His thoughts does not end here, for of even greater importance than His understanding of His own creation are His thoughts of love and emotion that are extended towards each and every person that has ever been created. His word reflects briefly on this reality as it declares in the well known passage in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that He gave His only son…” His heart is beating with a deep longing to be restored to intimate fellowship with every person who has
ever been created.
Truly how profound are His thoughts towards you! Man who is made in God’s image is seen throughout the pages of human history with a marvelous capacity for romance, so much so that the writer of Proverbs 30 speaks of this portrait of passion in Prov 30:18-19 by saying "There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.” Reflect on this reality for a moment, If man has this tremendous capacity for romance, How much more so God!? And if God is a romantic at heart, then who is it that He has directed His passions towards? Ephesians five clearly answers that question by contrasting again for us marital love and the love of God for us: Eph 5:28-32 “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Christ has been so moved by the mystery of passion for a bride that He has gone to great lengths to become one with us. Truly “how profound are God’s thoughts!?” Know today that you are loved by God and that His thoughts are directed towards you with a desire to make Himself known in the deep places of your heart!
Part 2
The psalmist’s reflection does not cease at the measure of God’s works, He compels us further to consider the measure of God’s thoughts and any who will dare to truly reflect upon this reality must be silenced before the expanse of God’s understanding and the ocean of His meditations. The greatest scientific minds of every age have spent their lives seeking to unravel the tiniest portions of understanding the smallest fragments of information that God holds within His thoughts. They celebrate with great joy and triumph each new breakthrough of understanding as they are able to peek through a peep hole of insight into the treasure chest of God’s scientific glories. They boast as they are able to understand some new truth about how man is designed or the universe is structured and yet the God who made all things holds the completeness of the knowledge and insight that we only see a small sliver of.
Even this reality, the measure of the scientific information that is contained within the mind of God is so minute in contrast to the whole of His thoughts. God’s mind is equally full of the measure of His character, His devotion, His values system and His daily choices for the good of mankind and yet the profoundness of His thoughts does not end here, for of even greater importance than His understanding of His own creation are His thoughts of love and emotion that are extended towards each and every person that has ever been created. His word reflects briefly on this reality as it declares in the well known passage in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world that He gave His only son…” His heart is beating with a deep longing to be restored to intimate fellowship with every person who has
ever been created.
Truly how profound are His thoughts towards you! Man who is made in God’s image is seen throughout the pages of human history with a marvelous capacity for romance, so much so that the writer of Proverbs 30 speaks of this portrait of passion in Prov 30:18-19 by saying "There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.” Reflect on this reality for a moment, If man has this tremendous capacity for romance, How much more so God!? And if God is a romantic at heart, then who is it that He has directed His passions towards? Ephesians five clearly answers that question by contrasting again for us marital love and the love of God for us: Eph 5:28-32 “In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church- 30 for we are members of his body. 31 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32 This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church.” Christ has been so moved by the mystery of passion for a bride that He has gone to great lengths to become one with us. Truly “how profound are God’s thoughts!?” Know today that you are loved by God and that His thoughts are directed towards you with a desire to make Himself known in the deep places of your heart!
Wednesday
Psalm 92:5 - September 16, 2009
Ps 92:5 "How great are your works, O LORD, how profound your thoughts!" NIV
Today I am considering this passage from an entirely different point of view. Early in the morning from a scenic overlook in the mountains of Virginia as I watch the sun rise there is a deeper impact when I read this simple phrase: “How great are your works, O Lord.” When I consider the fact that the beauty that is stretched out before me is one small thimble full in comparison to the great ocean of God’s glory that he has stretched out over the expanse of His whole creation, city to city, state to state, nation to nation, this glory repeats itself over and over again. And where the glories of the earthly creation cease the glories of the heavenly creations take over this display of splendor and the wonders of God continue to unveil more and more of their majesty as science reveals through tools such as the Hubble space telescope the ever expanding mysteries and marvels of outer space.
Even then when all of this is considered we have only just begun to touch the hem of the garments of God’s glorious works. As we reflect inwardly into the scientific makeup of every living being the revelations and mysteries of God’s works unfold with an equally beautiful presentation of His wisdom and order as the biology of every living thing reveals both their similarities and their uniqueness and the breadth of diversity contained within each facet of God’s creation. Still more we can consider the dimensions of personality and the depths of mind, will and emotions as the works of God display with an equally remarkable wisdom the creativity of God as He has fashioned each person and the potential within each man, woman and child. As we consider the human makeup and the reality that this God of power and glory could and would create man with a free will to choose to spend his life in any way that he desires God again displays His glory in the fact that He can so inspire the hearts of men through the revelation of Himself so deeply that they would choose to surrender willingly that freedom and spend their life in pursuit of knowing Him and serving Him instead of themselves. Truly how great are the works of the Lord.
These works of wonder are reason alone to praise Him and to marvel at who He is but the Lord does not stop there. The measure of the greatness of God’s works continues on as we consider for a moment every act that He has orchestrated and brought forth in His dealings with men. Every miraculous intervention, each supernatural deliverance, every work of provision, cries out in praise of God and His power. The acts of God throughout each and every day of human history that have unfolded in the life of each and every person who has ever walked the earth leave us standing before the God of creation in amazement. As we consider that this glorious God has said of Himself that every hair on our head is numbered, times the span of human beings who have ever lived throughout the course of human history, the works of God in just this one act are amazing and yet how much more does care involve himself in every life than just to keep track of our ever changing hair count! Glory to God! Jesus told His disciples that if God is consistently able to provide for every sparrow that flies, how much more is he able to watch over each and every man, the crowning glory of His creation. Truly, great are your works O Lord!
This simple verse in Psalm 92 is so rich with the provocation of thought that it generates as we consider the works of God and yet the psalmist pushes our meditation even further. The works of God are fathomless and yet they are not the measure of God. They are not the fullness of what makes Him worthy of your praise and mine. Ponder for just a moment a simple contrast within your own life. Over the span of your years how many works have you done? How many activities have you engaged in? How many times have you habitually performed even routine functions such as breathing, sleeping and eating? Each man and woman is finite in their abilities and mortal in their span of life. Consider the measure of the works of God in the context of His infinite capacities and His immortal span of existence both past and future and then declare: “How great is our God!”
Beyond the eternal nature of God’s abilities comes an even greater contrast. Consider your every act and every word then remember that for every deed fulfilled and acted upon there are countless numbers of thoughts and ideas that have passed through your limited mind that you have never brought forth into being. The meditations of your heart, the philosophies you have considered, the values and choices that you have made are measureless in their volume and yet again, you are but one man, or one woman with a measurable beginning and a quickly approaching end in the context of your earthly existence and in comparison to God’s infinite capacity for thought.
Today I am considering this passage from an entirely different point of view. Early in the morning from a scenic overlook in the mountains of Virginia as I watch the sun rise there is a deeper impact when I read this simple phrase: “How great are your works, O Lord.” When I consider the fact that the beauty that is stretched out before me is one small thimble full in comparison to the great ocean of God’s glory that he has stretched out over the expanse of His whole creation, city to city, state to state, nation to nation, this glory repeats itself over and over again. And where the glories of the earthly creation cease the glories of the heavenly creations take over this display of splendor and the wonders of God continue to unveil more and more of their majesty as science reveals through tools such as the Hubble space telescope the ever expanding mysteries and marvels of outer space.
Even then when all of this is considered we have only just begun to touch the hem of the garments of God’s glorious works. As we reflect inwardly into the scientific makeup of every living being the revelations and mysteries of God’s works unfold with an equally beautiful presentation of His wisdom and order as the biology of every living thing reveals both their similarities and their uniqueness and the breadth of diversity contained within each facet of God’s creation. Still more we can consider the dimensions of personality and the depths of mind, will and emotions as the works of God display with an equally remarkable wisdom the creativity of God as He has fashioned each person and the potential within each man, woman and child. As we consider the human makeup and the reality that this God of power and glory could and would create man with a free will to choose to spend his life in any way that he desires God again displays His glory in the fact that He can so inspire the hearts of men through the revelation of Himself so deeply that they would choose to surrender willingly that freedom and spend their life in pursuit of knowing Him and serving Him instead of themselves. Truly how great are the works of the Lord.
These works of wonder are reason alone to praise Him and to marvel at who He is but the Lord does not stop there. The measure of the greatness of God’s works continues on as we consider for a moment every act that He has orchestrated and brought forth in His dealings with men. Every miraculous intervention, each supernatural deliverance, every work of provision, cries out in praise of God and His power. The acts of God throughout each and every day of human history that have unfolded in the life of each and every person who has ever walked the earth leave us standing before the God of creation in amazement. As we consider that this glorious God has said of Himself that every hair on our head is numbered, times the span of human beings who have ever lived throughout the course of human history, the works of God in just this one act are amazing and yet how much more does care involve himself in every life than just to keep track of our ever changing hair count! Glory to God! Jesus told His disciples that if God is consistently able to provide for every sparrow that flies, how much more is he able to watch over each and every man, the crowning glory of His creation. Truly, great are your works O Lord!
This simple verse in Psalm 92 is so rich with the provocation of thought that it generates as we consider the works of God and yet the psalmist pushes our meditation even further. The works of God are fathomless and yet they are not the measure of God. They are not the fullness of what makes Him worthy of your praise and mine. Ponder for just a moment a simple contrast within your own life. Over the span of your years how many works have you done? How many activities have you engaged in? How many times have you habitually performed even routine functions such as breathing, sleeping and eating? Each man and woman is finite in their abilities and mortal in their span of life. Consider the measure of the works of God in the context of His infinite capacities and His immortal span of existence both past and future and then declare: “How great is our God!”
Beyond the eternal nature of God’s abilities comes an even greater contrast. Consider your every act and every word then remember that for every deed fulfilled and acted upon there are countless numbers of thoughts and ideas that have passed through your limited mind that you have never brought forth into being. The meditations of your heart, the philosophies you have considered, the values and choices that you have made are measureless in their volume and yet again, you are but one man, or one woman with a measurable beginning and a quickly approaching end in the context of your earthly existence and in comparison to God’s infinite capacity for thought.
Tuesday
Psalm 92:4 - September 15, 2009
Ps 92:4 "For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands." NIV
What is worth singing about? In the world people sing about their car, they sing about their gangster life, they sing about the girl, they sing about the bling! But what is truly worth celebrating!? In Psalm 92:4 the Psalmist has truly found that which is worth singing about! “You make me glad by your deeds…” Do you want to be happier in this life! Consider the works of the Lord. Spend your time meditating on the many great and wondrous things that God has done in His word, in your life, and in the lives of others. Yes, there are painful things that touch us and those we love as well but every day is rich with choices! Every day we have the opportunity to choose what we will focus our thoughts upon. Every moment we have the power to rejoice in the goodness of God or mourn the sorrows of life! True happiness flows out of a heart that has fixed its attention of the works of the Lord.
There is truly power that is released in your emotional makeup when you sing. According to Isaiah 61 one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to Isa 61:3 “appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” KJV The work of God in our lives is to change the condition of our inner man. Those who are mourning receive refreshing when the presence of the Lord is near and one of the means of both drawing upon the presence of the Lord and receiving this refreshing is this work of praise and song! Verse 3 in Psalm 61 declares that we are given a garment of praise as an answer for a spirit of heaviness. Recognize this reality. When you praise the Lord, your heaviness breaks. When you give thanks your emotions are redirected. Make a decision today to take your eyes off of the problem and to worship God for who He is and for all that He has done both in your life and the lives of those that you love.
What is worth singing about? In the world people sing about their car, they sing about their gangster life, they sing about the girl, they sing about the bling! But what is truly worth celebrating!? In Psalm 92:4 the Psalmist has truly found that which is worth singing about! “You make me glad by your deeds…” Do you want to be happier in this life! Consider the works of the Lord. Spend your time meditating on the many great and wondrous things that God has done in His word, in your life, and in the lives of others. Yes, there are painful things that touch us and those we love as well but every day is rich with choices! Every day we have the opportunity to choose what we will focus our thoughts upon. Every moment we have the power to rejoice in the goodness of God or mourn the sorrows of life! True happiness flows out of a heart that has fixed its attention of the works of the Lord.
There is truly power that is released in your emotional makeup when you sing. According to Isaiah 61 one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit is to Isa 61:3 “appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” KJV The work of God in our lives is to change the condition of our inner man. Those who are mourning receive refreshing when the presence of the Lord is near and one of the means of both drawing upon the presence of the Lord and receiving this refreshing is this work of praise and song! Verse 3 in Psalm 61 declares that we are given a garment of praise as an answer for a spirit of heaviness. Recognize this reality. When you praise the Lord, your heaviness breaks. When you give thanks your emotions are redirected. Make a decision today to take your eyes off of the problem and to worship God for who He is and for all that He has done both in your life and the lives of those that you love.
Monday
Psalm 92:1-3 - September 14, 2009
Ps 92:1-3 "It is good to praise the LORD and make music to your name, O Most High, 2 to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, 3 to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp." NIV
The heading over this psalm in the scriptures is “a song for the Sabbath day.” The Sabbath is that day within the life of the people of God that is set apart exclusively for rest and worship. We are called by the principles of the world to turn aside from our business, from our work so that we can focus our lives on God and God alone. How many anxieties would be relieved if God’s people would habitually turn aside from both work and worry to worship and give thanks to the Lord? In our generation many people turn aside from work and enjoy a day of rest but the missing ingredient for a truly restorative process is to turn aside “to” God, not just “from” work! The word does not just command us to rest from our labors it invites us to enjoy the refreshing impact of spending a day enjoying the Lord.
“I’m too busy” you may say. The Lord was prepared for the reality that our sense of responsibility pulls at us with such force that we feel pressure to keep going. That is the point! The Sabbath is the day that we unplug the pressure valve and release all of those built up emotions into the hand of the Lord. God, knowing our tendencies, also gives counsel in His Word to help us enjoy the Sabbath more fully. He instructs His people to prepare for the Sabbath. Do you prepare for your day of rest, so that it truly becomes a day of rest? The Israelites were told to prepare their food the day before and to give rest to their animals as well. This principle calls to us to clear a path through our schedule consistently so that we are able to enjoy time with the Lord. There is healing power waiting in the place of rest. There is inner renewal waiting in the place of worship.
The Psalmist is celebrating this reality as he states “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name.” It is good for God and good for us! When we worship we build the bridge between our heart and God’s heart. When we praise we declare the great things that God has done and impact both the realms of the Spirit and the state of our soul as the confession of God’s mighty deeds builds up our own faith. Consider the application of the psalmist’s words. It is good to praise the Lord… “to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” Imagine the redemptive impact of starting every day with a proclamation of the Love of God! Declare before the heavens and the earth, before angels and demons, before trials and blessings… “I am loved by God, with a love that has no end, with a love that I cannot be separated from!” Oh, the impact upon our hearts of ending the day with a celebration of God’s faithfulness rather than stress of complaint over the events of the day. “God you have been good to me. Thank you that you are faithfully working in my life even when I can’t see it!” Now turn these things into a new song! It is good to praise and to make music to the Nam of the Lord! This is not just for the musicians! This is for all lovers of God! Lift your voice! And declare His praise. It will bless you and bless Him!
The heading over this psalm in the scriptures is “a song for the Sabbath day.” The Sabbath is that day within the life of the people of God that is set apart exclusively for rest and worship. We are called by the principles of the world to turn aside from our business, from our work so that we can focus our lives on God and God alone. How many anxieties would be relieved if God’s people would habitually turn aside from both work and worry to worship and give thanks to the Lord? In our generation many people turn aside from work and enjoy a day of rest but the missing ingredient for a truly restorative process is to turn aside “to” God, not just “from” work! The word does not just command us to rest from our labors it invites us to enjoy the refreshing impact of spending a day enjoying the Lord.
“I’m too busy” you may say. The Lord was prepared for the reality that our sense of responsibility pulls at us with such force that we feel pressure to keep going. That is the point! The Sabbath is the day that we unplug the pressure valve and release all of those built up emotions into the hand of the Lord. God, knowing our tendencies, also gives counsel in His Word to help us enjoy the Sabbath more fully. He instructs His people to prepare for the Sabbath. Do you prepare for your day of rest, so that it truly becomes a day of rest? The Israelites were told to prepare their food the day before and to give rest to their animals as well. This principle calls to us to clear a path through our schedule consistently so that we are able to enjoy time with the Lord. There is healing power waiting in the place of rest. There is inner renewal waiting in the place of worship.
The Psalmist is celebrating this reality as he states “It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name.” It is good for God and good for us! When we worship we build the bridge between our heart and God’s heart. When we praise we declare the great things that God has done and impact both the realms of the Spirit and the state of our soul as the confession of God’s mighty deeds builds up our own faith. Consider the application of the psalmist’s words. It is good to praise the Lord… “to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night.” Imagine the redemptive impact of starting every day with a proclamation of the Love of God! Declare before the heavens and the earth, before angels and demons, before trials and blessings… “I am loved by God, with a love that has no end, with a love that I cannot be separated from!” Oh, the impact upon our hearts of ending the day with a celebration of God’s faithfulness rather than stress of complaint over the events of the day. “God you have been good to me. Thank you that you are faithfully working in my life even when I can’t see it!” Now turn these things into a new song! It is good to praise and to make music to the Nam of the Lord! This is not just for the musicians! This is for all lovers of God! Lift your voice! And declare His praise. It will bless you and bless Him!
Sunday
Psalm 91:9-11 - September 13, 2009
Ps 91:9-11 "If you make the Most High your dwelling — even the LORD, who is my refuge — 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" NIV
Do you believe in angels? You should. Angels are around us at all times sent by the Father to minister to the saints. Heb 1:14 tells us a little bit about their role in the invisible realms of God when it says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” I met my guardian angel one time in a dream. You are free to believe or not believe the reality of this dream but its message opened my eyes to the realms of God that are beyond the seeing. In my dream I was working construction (which I was doing at the time), and I had fallen from a high point on a scaffolding. I was floating to the ground in the arms of an invisible being who had caught me as I was falling. He spoke to me and said these words: “I am responsible for you and your co-worker Michael and boy do you guys keep me busy!” The tone of his comment was light-hearted and friendly yet pointed in its emphasis of the reality that we had no idea just how often his intervention had saved us from much greater harm or calamity.
Verses 9-11 of Psalm 91 extend a significant promise of protection and intervention towards those who will truly dwell in God. Notice the distinction however that the psalmist is emphasizing. He is concerned not that we have a prayer life, not that we spend a little time in bible study. This place of safety that is being offered in Verses 9-11 is the result of a life-style not some godly habits. The place of safety is the place of consistent abiding. When we make the Lord our center and the core of every thought and activity then we will see the hand of the Lord surrounding us with mercy and grace. It is this place of focused, purposeful living in God that causes us to dwell in the path of safety. For those who live intimately with God He engages His heavenly hosts in a divine partnership to assist us as we live before Him. God promises to command His angels concerning us. What a promise. Angels are on assignment because of my life, when I am found living fully in Him! Hide yourself in Him today and live in confident faith that His angels are watching over you according to His word!
Do you believe in angels? You should. Angels are around us at all times sent by the Father to minister to the saints. Heb 1:14 tells us a little bit about their role in the invisible realms of God when it says, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?” I met my guardian angel one time in a dream. You are free to believe or not believe the reality of this dream but its message opened my eyes to the realms of God that are beyond the seeing. In my dream I was working construction (which I was doing at the time), and I had fallen from a high point on a scaffolding. I was floating to the ground in the arms of an invisible being who had caught me as I was falling. He spoke to me and said these words: “I am responsible for you and your co-worker Michael and boy do you guys keep me busy!” The tone of his comment was light-hearted and friendly yet pointed in its emphasis of the reality that we had no idea just how often his intervention had saved us from much greater harm or calamity.
Verses 9-11 of Psalm 91 extend a significant promise of protection and intervention towards those who will truly dwell in God. Notice the distinction however that the psalmist is emphasizing. He is concerned not that we have a prayer life, not that we spend a little time in bible study. This place of safety that is being offered in Verses 9-11 is the result of a life-style not some godly habits. The place of safety is the place of consistent abiding. When we make the Lord our center and the core of every thought and activity then we will see the hand of the Lord surrounding us with mercy and grace. It is this place of focused, purposeful living in God that causes us to dwell in the path of safety. For those who live intimately with God He engages His heavenly hosts in a divine partnership to assist us as we live before Him. God promises to command His angels concerning us. What a promise. Angels are on assignment because of my life, when I am found living fully in Him! Hide yourself in Him today and live in confident faith that His angels are watching over you according to His word!
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