Saturday

Psalm 101:1-3 - October 3, 2009

Ps 101:1-3 "I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise. 2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life — when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. 3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing." NIV

Are you living carefully? Psalm 101:1-3 stands out as a powerful example of the personal decision that we are responsible to make concerning the condition of our hearts. David’s passion can be seen so clearly through the opening words of this Psalm. He makes a declaration of his commitment to purity before the Lord and then expresses the longing of his heart that is the driving force behind his decision: “when will you come to me?” God’s presence is David’s desire. His longing in life is to experience more of the Lord and it is this desire that drives him. It is this desire that moves his heart to make personal choices.
“I will sing of your love and justice…” Oh the revelation that David possesses of the person of God and it is this revelation that fuels his passions. As you read these opening words hear the passion of a heart crying out “Lord I want more of you!” Because there is a vision of more that compels him David is highly motivated in his personal life. Proverbs 29:18 identifies the impact of a life with no vision “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained,” NASU this is the opposite of David’s condition. David is burning with a vision of encountering God and as a result he is living a careful life.
This passage in Psalm 101 expresses David’s goal: “a blameless life.” These verses communicate the extent of this decision as he makes two very clear statements: “I will walk in my house with blameless heart. 3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” How do you live when no one is looking? It is such a powerful statement that David has set his heart to live with excellence even in the privacy of his own home. He is not content to live pure in front of the people and then embrace sin in his private moments. The second standard that David portrays in this passage is his commitment to steward his eyes. The eyes are a gate to the soul and what we set our eyes upon soon becomes the longing of our hearts. In a season of distraction it was this snare that captured David as he looked upon another man’s wife. Each one of us is called to be a steward of our hearts and to offer ourselves as a “living sacrifice, holy and acceptable” to the Lord as Ro. 12:1-2 says. Make a decision today to make intimacy with God the vision of your life and let every personal choice flow out of that decision to have more of the Lord!

Friday

Psalm 99:8-9 - October 2, 2009

Ps 99:8-9 "O LORD our God, you answered them; you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds. 9 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy." NIV

Psalm 99:8-9 carries in it such a powerful balance between two opposing facets in the Lord’s way of dealing with his children. “O LORD our God, you answered them…” this passage is simple statement of God’s affirmation if His people even in their weakness. The context of this passage is a discussion of God’s response to the failures of His people and yet it displays God’s responsiveness to us when we come in humility even in times of failure. Too often earthly fathers and human leaders punish the imperfections of those they are in authority over with what has become known in American culture as “the silent treatment”, as they express their displeasure by putting up a wall of silence that is unresponsive to the efforts of the one who has fallen short as they seek to resolve the distance created in the relationship by their failure.
The wisdom of God is seen in the Lord’s leadership style as this Psalm identifies the polarized aspects of responding to the misdeeds or failures of others. The middle portion of verse 8 declares “you were to Israel a forgiving God, though you punished their misdeeds.” This short phrase teaches such a balanced perspective of responding to sin. We can know the Lord’s character so clearly in this simple phrase and in that revelation our hearts can find peace. Verse 8 identifies God’s willingness to forgive those who cry out to Him in their sinfulness and failures as it describes the Lord as “a forgiving God.” This passage gives us great hope and comfort as we find rest in the knowledge that His wrath is appeased by His willingness to forgive.
What can equally be seen in this passage is the Lord’s way of dealing with us through discipline as a loving Father. In the same way that verse 8 identifies the Lord’s willingness to forgive it emphasizes that forgiveness does not imply that there will be no consequences for our actions. Many people have a hard time recognizing that punishment can be applied without anger. Because of the impatience of many earthly authority figures the nature of discipline has been confused in many people’s minds as always springing forth out of anger and unforgiveness. Psalm 99:8 is special in its capacity to separate the two. Yes the Lord forgives, and yes at times there will still be punishment. When the Lord disciplines us to train us it is not because He has not forgiven, nor is it because He is angry with us. This passage is a lesson for every parent that we can forgive and put away anger but still train our children in right behavior by applying proper consequences or punishment. In this it is so important that we communicate to our children with the same wisdom that the Lord imparts in this passage, affirming to them that even though they must be punished for their actions that if they have repented then they are forgiven and our love is not conditional but steady even when we disapprove of what they have done. Rest in the Lord today and in the knowledge of His wise stewardship of your life as He watches over you to teach you in the right way! Always look to God with an expectation of receiving mercy when you fail even though He may still allow you to experience the sting of His punishment so that you will be trained in righteousness.

Thursday

Psalm 98:4-6 - October 1, 2009

Ps 98:4-6 "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; 5 make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, 6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn — shout for joy before the LORD, the King." NIV

What does your praise sound like? Psalm 98:4-6 is a charge from the Lord to re-examine the flavor of our praise! The language of these three verses is clear and expressive as it compels us to extravagant praise. Shouts of joy, jubilant song, the sounds of singing, trumpet calls, the blast of the ram’s horn, this is not the praise of the lukewarm but rather a celebration of God! Let the saints hear the call of God and come joyfully before Him. This passage in the psalms is such a rich reflection of the fact that our praise is intended to carry with it a triumphant expression of thanksgiving for what the Lord has done and a confident celebration of what He is going to do!
Much of the body of Christ is suppressed and reserved in our personality types and cultural norms but what is clear in this and many other passages throughout the word is that the moment we leave the world behind and become members of the kingdom of God we not only step into a new life but into a new culture. There is a culture of the kingdom of God that is created when the people of God fully rise up to embrace the ways of the word of God. Many people seek to adopt the character traits of Christ and the moral attributes of Christianity. They seek Him and want to know His voice but they seek to morph Christianity into their own existing culture, and in some regards there are positive benefits to respecting the cultures that are present in a region but there is also a danger in this practice. The Kingdom of God is a culture of its own! Rom 12:1-2 calls us into a process of transformation that distances us from the behavior and thought patterns of this world by saying “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” NIV
When the scriptures clearly define an attitude or style of behavior that is different to that which we are accustomed to it is important that we examine the nature of that passage. Is this passage instructs us in a principle that we are to apply within our own culture or is it calling us to define and establish a new culture? We can miss much of the benefit and impact of the power of God’s kingdom simply through making the mistake of adapting the word of God to fit our circumstances and ways rather than adapting our circumstances and ways to fit the word of God. The power of God is the power to change. It is vital that we embrace the scriptures and challenge our cultural norms with the culture of the kingdom! In many of Paul’s letters to the church the language of putting off old ways and putting on new ones can be clearly seen. This is a reflection of the call of God to be strangers in this world and to live with our eyes set on the Kingdom of God. Challenge the legitimacy of your routines and the habits you have fallen into in your daily life both in the church and in the world buy holding those habits up before the culture of the kingdom of God and let the scriptures redefine how you live for God!

Wednesday

Psalm 97:10-11 - September 30, 2009

Ps 97:10-11 "Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart." NIV

Can a heart love both good and evil? Can we flirt with sin and still be close to the Lord? Can we pursue the darkness and still enjoy the light? James speaks directly to this contradiction by saying in James 3:11-12 “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.” NIV We are warned in Psalm 97:10-11 that if we love the Lord we should also hate evil. This passage is a reminder of the dangers of double-mindedness. To love the Lord is to value His ways. To love the Lord is to serve Him with a whole heart, not with mixture. Jesus described a right expression of love very simply in John 14:15-16 by saying to His disciples "If you love me, you will obey what I command.” NIV
A chronic condition exists within much of the body of Christ. It is one that has been a struggle for the people of God since before Isaiah’s time. Jesus speaks to this condition as He confronts the Pharisees in Matt 15:7-8 and says “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” NIV Many people wear the name “Christian” but do not reflect the image of Christ that is intended to go with the name. Psalm 97:10-11 is one of those directs calls from the Lord to “live it.” It is God saying “If you love me, hate what I hate and love what I love, say what I say and do what I do!”
The scriptures consistently raise a high standard of integrity in regard to our walks with God. Throughout the entire message of the Bible a consistent call to respond to God from a humble and upright heart can be seen. In His rebukes of wayward kings, His praise of faith-filled obedience, His judgment upon the wicked and His encouragements of the weak but willing God can be clearly seen as delighting in the one that chooses to direct their heart towards obedient submission to His will.
One of the beauties of Psalm 97:10-11 is that along with this call to single-mindedness is a glimpse into some of the benefits of maintaining this heart of integrity before the Lord. If we choose to hate evil with that choice comes the promise of the Lord’s protection. He has promised to guard the life of the man who will stand uprightly in God’s name in the midst of a dark and evil generation. David exemplified this truth again and again as he consistently responded to the trials of an unjust king over Him and the struggles of a life of service with integrity and as a result consistently experienced God intervening to deliver Him from the hand of His enemies. Yes He faced many challenges and experienced the tension of difficult times, but the Lord was always faithful to guard his life and lead him through to a place of safety. Verse 11 encourages our confidence in the reward of an upright life by saying “Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart.” If we will choose an upright life God promises to shed His light upon us giving us revelation and guidance. And one of the greatest rewards of an upright life and the clarity that comes with it is that with a clean conscience comes a heart full of joy! To stand confidently before God because we have maintained a right heart results in His joy flowing through us. Make a decision today to love what God loves and reap the benefit of a joyful security in

God’s presence.

Tuesday

Psalm 97:2-6 - September 29, 2009

Ps 97:2-6 "Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory." NIV

Psalm 97:2-6 make a powerful contribution to our understanding of the Lord and His divine person and attributes. It is awesome to consider the physical dynamics of God’s presence. I am sure that this passage is a small reflection of the vastness that is God, when we consider that He has created all that IS created, when we consider that He holds the worlds in the palms of His hands and yet this same God of greatness can live inside of our spirits and speak to us intimately, but it still inspires the heart to exalt the Lord. Imagine His throne surrounded by dark, thunderous clouds and burning fire that consumes all of His enemies on every side. What an awesome image this is of our creator.
Imagine the holy fear that touches the heart of all who see His lightning light up the world. The Psalmist captures this thought succinctly by saying “the earth sees and trembles.” Consider the greatness of the highest mountain peaks known to man and yet before the power and glory of the Lord they “melt like wax.” Scientists know that the earth is a ball of fire at its core. Telescopic images depict the burning mass that is the sun pouring heat and light into the universe, multiplied by every star in the heavens! And still God is bigger. Still God holds all of this in the palms of His hands. The Psalmist’s reflection causes Him to declare this truth by saying “the heavens proclaim… and all the people see…” Truly God makes Himself known through the power of His creation! Certainly He reaches out to all men through the wonders that He has made.
These concepts are deeply moving and can be expanded on through hours of silent reflection or passionate study of the universe and yet the Psalmist is not content to present the throne of God with this as the limitation of its description. One of the wonders of Psalm 97:2-6 is that in the midst of this glorious description of the throne of God, one of the primary attributes that the writer exalts as central to God’s glory and habitation is the fact of His righteousness and justice. When the writer presents this description of God he is compelled by the Holy Spirit’s leading to include the reality that the foundation of God’s glory rests upon His character. In spite of all His visible attributes and the wonders He can perform, what makes God truly glorious and worthy of praise is that He is righteous and just! It is not the strength of His power, nor the beauty of His person but the glory of His character that is the center of His throne! He is worthy of this position of ultimate rule, worthy of the submission and praise of men first of all because He judges with absolutely right judgment and unchanging character! We can rest in God’s consistent integrity and wisdom in His dealings with us. This is the glory of God!

Monday

Psalm 95:7-9 - September 28, 2009

Ps 95:7-9 "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, 9 where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did." NIV

God is speaking, are you listening? Hearing the voice of God is not an exact science. God throughout the pages of God’s word He demonstrates an incredibly diverse array of means that He employs in communicating with His people. Throughout the Word we see God sending dreams, angelic messengers, catching people up in visionary trances, speaking to them through the whisper of the Holy Spirit’s voice in their time of prayer, speaking to them through prophetic symbolisms, giving signs in the heavens, sending prophets to speak directly, through the pages of scripture itself, and more. The Word makes it very clear through these examples that the all powerful creator God is not limited in the ways He can communicate

with His people.
Once we have settled the fact that God is speaking and is well able to speak clearly to His people we are compelled to consider the question: “If God is speaking and speaks well, why do His people have such a difficult time discerning and obeying the voice of God?” Psalm 95:7-9 identifies one of the primary concerns in regard to hearing the voice of God: the condition of your heart. Throughout the pages of scripture story after story reflects on the reality that many times God is speaking but His people do not want really want to hear. God speaks and in many instances He is calling His people to changes that they are unwilling to make or actions that they are unwilling to take. He speaks into our situation and we are faced with a question: “What will I do with the Word of the Lord?” We are forced to decide if we will accept the Word in faith and take steps of obedience, whether we will delay and seek to understand more clearly what is being said, whether we will acknowledge the Word and then do nothing or reject it as not from the Lord. In every case it is a matter of the heart.
The heart of man is God’s greatest obstacle to overcome! He is well able to move mountains, He has clearly demonstrated His capacity to turn water into wine, calm seas and multiply bread. What God finds as His biggest challenge is to motivate man to voluntary, love driven obedience that does not usurp man’s free will but rather inspires Him to choose obedience as the best course of action available to Him. When a man’s heart is soft, God can bring change easily. When a man has hardened his heart either because of past hurts, love of sin or fear of change the work of God is greatly reduced and its impact lessened. Each person is encouraged by the Lord in Prov 4:23 with the caution, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” When we have protected our heart from becoming hard then a life giving flow of God’s direction and interaction is released to us and as a result we enjoy a greater measure of fruitfulness in our partnership with Him and are protected from the snares of life more consistently. Give God your heart today and ask Him to make it good ground for His Word to work in you!

Sunday

Psalm 95:3-7 - September 27, 2009

Ps 95:3-7 "For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. 6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; 7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care." NIV

Psalm 95:3-7 is a call to worship the Lord in humility. The first step of true worship is to recognize our need to worship. Psalm 95:6 compels us to bow down before the Lord in worship. It is a reminder of who He is in contrast to who we are. “The Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods… Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” What powerful images are conveyed in that simple passage as we hear the call to bow before the Lord! Worship is an acknowledgement of His right to rule over us. When we bow before the Lord we are acknowledging His supremacy over our lives and our desires. When we humble ourselves before Him we are giving Him permission to direct our steps by acknowledging our position as those under His rule, His government. To worship is to yield! To worship is to surrender!
This passage develops the justification for this relationship and its context of submission. The Lord is the great God, the creator of all things, our Maker. We are submitted to Him and worship Him because we are the created He is the creator! Both the Prophets and the Apostle Paul develop this theme with strong images of our dependence upon the creator. Isa 64:8 identifies the reality that we have nothing in and of ourselves. We are children of the Father, the master potter and the works of His hands: “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” In Rom 9:20-21 the Apostle Paul completes the implications of this concept by stating: “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?" 21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” The primary principle in this concept is found in verse 21 where Paul emphasizes the question “Doesn’t the potter have the right to make whatever He chooses out of the clay that He has in His hands?”
As we worship the Lord the context of His sovereignty is not left merely in the hands of His dominion and His rights over us. The great news found in this passage is that the Lord does not merely rule over us as a master does a slave or as a stern King who exercises His power over His subjects. The principle that changes the nature of our worship from a fearful surrender to a powerful sovereign to the worship of joyful surrender is seen in the language of verse 7. God chooses to reveal Himself not as an angry Lord but as a shepherd King! Everything about this Shepherd King is a demonstration of His goodness and mercy. Consider the language God uses in this passage to describe our relationship with Him; “we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.” God has placed us lovingly in the green pastures of His creation and cares over us like a good shepherd. The knowledge of this place of protection and provision makes our relationship with God a privileged relationship and this establishes a different atmosphere for our approach to God in worship. Yes we surrender, yes we yield, yes we worship, but we worship a loving creator not an angry God. Yes we reverence, yes we acknowledge His strength and power, His dominion over us, but we do so in the context of children to their Father not in a context of strangers to a distant God. Come before the Lord in worship, but come boldly before His throne of grace with a heart of thanksgiving and a song of joy as He. 4:16 invites us to do.