Psalm 97

Rejoice! The Lord Reigns!

Psalm 96 & Psalm 97 were set to the same tune.  Christ is the Alpha & Omega of both.  It is He who reigns to the joy of all mankind.  The Lord Jesus reigns!!! 

The Lord reigns;
Let the earth rejoice!
For You, Lord, are most high
above all the earth.
~ Ps. 97:1, 9

Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols.  ~ Ps. 97:7

Matthew Henry notes that verse 7 is a prayer for the conversion of those who have been so long serving dumb idols, praying they may be:

1. convinced of their error,
2. ashamed of their folly, and
3. may by the power of Christ's gospel, be brought to serve the only living and true God.

Idolatry is the universal human tendency to value something or someone in a way that hinders the love & trust we owe to God. 

Consider verse 7  in your own life - you may not worship a golden cow, but what about "idol worship" that sneaks into your life - money, power, job, even children or human relationships? 

Have you ever seen the Indiana Jones movies, where he searches for the artifacts of God - the Ark of the Covenant, and the Holy Grail of Christ.  In a similar way as Christians, our lives should be a quest to seek after God.  As much as is humanly possible in our mortal beings, don't you desire to have the mind of God?  Verse 10 is a step on that path:  

You who love the Lord, hate evil!  ~ Ps. 97:10
A true love of God will show itself in a real hatred of sin, and a true grief over one's own and all in general.  The more we are like God, the more sin will grieve us. 

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• The Lord reigns!
• Righteousness & justice are the foundation of His throne
• All peoples will see His glory
• The Lord is to be exalted
• God preserves the souls of His saints
• God is our Deliverer

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He does indeed reign, and will reign forever.  This is a comforting truth when evil seems so rampant in this world!
• I praise God that He preserves the souls of His saints, of which I am one!

PRAYER: by F.B. Meyer

     Heavenly Father!  Forgive my many sins, ignorances, and failures, and cleanse me from all sin for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Accept me graciously, and love me freely.  May I hate sin as You do, and may Your grace sink deeper into my heart, purifying the springs of thought and action.  ~ Amen

Psalm 96

Declare the Glory of God

Psalm 96 is a call given to all people to praise God, and to worship Him as a great & glorious God.

 

We are instructed in verses 8 & 9 to give to the Lord the glory due His name and to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.    The call here is for more than holy array  - the worship most worthy is the beauty of holiness - the manifestation of God's holy character in the lives of worshipers.  Take a minute to reflect on that thought as you examine your life . . . is there evidence of God's holy character reflected in your thoughts?  attitudes?  actions?

 

 

This verse above was written by David in a song first recorded in the book of I Chronicles.  It is repeated here in Psalm 96.  My Bible notes that the heavens and the earth are called to glorify God.  His coming kingdom will be  a blessing to nature as well as to human nature.  As at creation the "morning stars sang together" (Job 38:7), so at the consummation all nature will render praise to God.  This is because He shall "judge the world with righteousness" and set all things right.

Proclaim the good news of His salvation
from day to day
~ Ps. 96:2


We are reminded in verse 2 to proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day - to declare His glory and His wonders among all peoples.

Matthew Henry notes that "salvation by Christ is here spoken of as work of wonder."  May we all take to heart the instruction in verse 2 and declare & share God's work in our lives. 

Verse 4 is another reminder that God is to be feared - how do we 'fear' Him?   Billy Graham offers this definition: 

To fear God is to treat Him with reverence & respect, acknowledging that He is far greater than we are and He alone is worthy of our loyalty and obedience.  It also means that we realize we are accountable to God, and that some day we will stand before Him to be judged for all we have done.  Don't ever lose your reverence & respect for God - but don't ever lose sight of His love for you either.  He has provided a way for us to be forgiven and saved from His judgment - by salvation through His son Jesus Christ.

  WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• The Lord is great and greatly to be praised
• The Lord is to be feared
• The Lord is due glory, strength, and my worship
• The Lord is coming to judge the earth with righteousness & truth

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord for the good news of His salvation . . . in my life!
• I praise the Lord that He is the one true God
• I praise God for His honor, majesty, strength, beauty, righteousness & truth

PRAYER: another beautiful prayer of praise by Ruth Myers:
     I magnify You, O Lord, I exalt Your name for You are great and greatly to be praised.  I praise You for the glorious splendor of Your majesty and the power of Your awe-inspiring acts.  Your power is unlimited  . . . absolute . . . beyond imagining. You are able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or dream of.  There is nothing too hard for You.  Who is like You, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?
     O Lord Most High, You rule over the heavens and the earth, for You made all things by Your great power, and You keep them existing and working by Your mighty word.  You are exalted high above every star and galaxy in the entire cosmos . . . yet You are also the "God of all mankind," the great personally-present, personally-involved God who loves, rescues, and takes care of all who trust You.  You exercise Your gracious authority over all nations - and over each individual in all the world.  There is none like You, the true God, the living God, the everlasting King.  ~ Amen

Psalm 95

Call to Worship the Lord

This is our 3rd of the Enthronement Psalms - does its title sound familiar?  When we open church services with singing, our Worship leader is "calling us to worship."  In Psalm 95, as often in others, the psalmist is stirring up himself and others to praise God. 

 How do you worship - do you sing loudly with a full heart, or do your lips barely move?  May we come before His presence with thanksgiving and shout joyfully to Him with song!

The latter part of Psalm 95 is an exhortation to those who sing gospel songs to live gospel lives.  In verses 8-11, we are reminded that worship must be more than vocal and formal - it must originate in our hearts. 

"Do not harden" = do not be disobedient

My Bible notes that we are reminded NOT to repeat the stubbornness and unbelief of Israel's fathers during their 40 years of wilderness wanderings.  There was no excuse for their disobedience & unbelief - God says, "They saw My work" (the miracles performed on Israel's behalf).  May we take heed and never "go astray in our hearts."

Today, if you will hear His voice:
Do not harden your hearts, as in rebellion.
~ Ps. 95:8

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• He is the Rock of our salvation
• He is the great God, the great King above all gods
• He is God the Creator of all things - He is the Lord, our Maker
• God is worthy of our praise and worship

 

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For He is our God
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.  ~ Ps. 95:6-7

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord that He is God, the great God, that there is no other
• I praise God that I am a sheep of His hand

PRAYER: a beautiful prayer of praise by Ruth Myers.  It speaks of many of the attributes of God that we have studied in the Psalms thus far, and is truly a call to worship the Lord:

     My heart rejoices in You, Lord, for You are my strong shelter in times of trouble and danger and stress, my hiding place to whom I may continually resort . . . my Father who lovingly provides for me . . . my Shepherd who guides and protects me . . . my Champion who upholds my cause as His child and defends my highest interests . . . .my Bridegroom who delights in me . . . my God who is mighty to save, who rests in His love for me and rejoices over me with singing, with shouts of joy.  You are my inheritance, my share in life, the One who satisfies my longing soul and fills my hungry soul with goodness.
     I praise You for Your love and Your wisdom.  You are too wise to ever make a mistake, too loving to ever do anything unkind.  You act on my behalf accomplishing what concerns me and fulfilling Your purpose for me as I call on You.  Thank You that You love me deeply and tenderly.  You are compassionate and gracious, full of lovingkindness, ready to forgive, patiently considerate, and generous beyond imagining.  You desire my love and rejoice to do good things for me.  You delight to give me the desires of my heart as I delight myself in You.  How precious is Your love to me, O God!  I sing for joy as I take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!  ~ Amen


    






Psalm 94

Vengeance Belongs Only to God

 

Psalm 94:19 is one of my favorite verses in the Bible!  Have you ever felt anxious, or been plagued with anxiety?  Feel like your feet are slipping, like you are out of control?  Commit Psalm 94:19 to memory, hide it in your heart, and say those words aloud each time you feel a cloud of anxiety blowing over you.

 



In the multitude of my anxieties with me,
Your comforts delight my soul.
~ Ps. 94:19

Psalm 94 was penned when the church of God was oppressed, and it is an appeal to God for His people against His and their enemies.  We are reminded in verse 1 that vengeance belongs to the Lord!  When we avenge ourselves, we are trying to take God's place.  He has reserved for Himself the right to repay evil!

 

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather, give place to wrath; for it is written,

'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. 

~ Rom. 12:19

 

We are reminded in this passage in Romans to do GOOD to those who wrong us . . . for the express purpose of 'heaping coals on his head" to melt him into repentance and friendship.  Easy to say, hard to do, right!



Another wonderful verse is Ps. 94:12:  

Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord,

And teach out of Your law. 

Some Bible translations translate "chasten" with "instruct" - as Job says,

 Happy is the man whom God corrects; therefore, do not despise the chastening of the Almighty.

~Job. 5:17



How well do you respond to God's "pruning shears?

May we take heed to learn from the lessons God is trying to teach us, often through difficulties and trials.  As Matthew Henry notes: 

When God chastens His children, He will teach them, and blessed is the man who is thus taken under a divine discipline, for none teaches  like God. 

Don't waste your pain!  If you are going through a difficult trial, search for the purpose God has in allowing it in your life.  

Psalm 94 is rich with truth to claim . . . I love this verse too:

The Lord has been my defense,

and my God the rock of my refuge.  

~ Ps. 94:22  

Have you ever been wronged and just wished for someone to stand up for you, to vouch for you?  Remember how grateful you are when someone comes to your defense?  Hide verse 22 in your heart for these times, and ask the Lord to defend you.

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• Vengeance belongs to the Lord
• God knows my thoughts
• The Lord sees
• God instructs me out of His word
• God gives me rest from adversity
• The Lord is my help and comforter
• God's mercy upholds me
• God is my defense
• God is the rock of my refuge

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I bless the Lord that, in my anxieties, His comforts delight my soul
• I praise God that I can leave my enemies to His tending - that He is my defense and refuge . . . at all times
• I praise the Lord that He chastens & instructs those He loves
• I praise the Lord that His mercy upholds me

PRAYER:

     O Lord, as I read Your word this day and contemplate the truths it holds, my heart is full of joy & peace that my enemies are in Your hand.  That You are my defense and the rock of my refuge.  Thank You, O Lord, for the safety and security in that truth.  May I live victoriously through it, and not try to exact my own revenge upon my enemies.  I pray that I would learn to do good to those who persecute me, reacting with a Godly response and not out of my flesh.

     How I bless You, Father, that if my foot slips, I am upheld by your mercy.  That in the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.  What lovingkindness You show to me, O Lord.  May I find rest in that truth and cease the strivings in my soul. 

     Make my heart moldable to Your instruction, O God.  I long to learn those things You have for me, and pray that my heart would be soft to receive all things.  In Christ's name I pray ~ Amen

Psalm 93

The Majesty of God

The psalms 93-99 are known as "Enthronement Psalms" because all 7 of them celebrate the rule of God the divine King.  Psalm 93 rejoices over the kingship of the Lord - it sets forth the honor of the kingdom of God among men.  It relates to the kingdom of His providence, by which He governs the world, and the kingdom of His grace, by which He secures the church. 

Psalm 93 declares that the Lord reigns

• gloriously, v.1
• powerfully, v.1
• eternally, v.2
• triumphantly, v.3-4
• In truth and holiness, v. 5

The Lord on high is mightier
than the mighty waves of the sea.
~ Ps. 93:4

Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him! 
 ~ Mark 4:41

Do you feel like your life is in a "storm" right now?  Do you feel tossed about, even overcome, by waves of doubt, despair, hurt, uncertainty, fear? Verse 4 reminds us that the Lord as an immovable anchor cast in the storm.  

My God, You are my anchor

on a stormy sea,

my serenity on a windy night,

my hope when all else fails.

Your Presence surrounds me

like a protective shield and when

the arrows of my selfishness

pierce through, Your loving arms

extend themselves to reach out

and grasp my wandering soul.       

  ~ Mother Angelica

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God reigns
• He is clothed with  majesty
• God is eternal
• The Lord is mighty
• The Lord is holy

 HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise God as eternal King
• I praise God that He holds the world - that by His strength the world cannot be moved
• I bless the Lord that He is my anchor in life's storms
• I praise the Lord that His testimonies are sure

PRAYER:
     O Lord, Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting.  I can never praise You enough that You sought me, made Yourself known to me, and have made me Your own.  I bless You that You are my immovable anchor, that You hold steady when the waves are high and the storm is blowing through my life.  May I keep my eyes focused on You and remember the truth of this psalm:  You established the world and it cannot be moved.  You hold it secure, and You hold me secure. 
     Father, thank You that Your testimonies are sure - that Your promises are true, and Your word can be trusted.  Forgive me, O Lord, when my faith is small . . . give me faith to be sure of what I hope for, and certain of what I do not yet see.  In Jesus' name I pray ~ Amen

Psalm 92

It is Good to Praise the Lord

Psalm 92 is known as "A Song for the Sabbath Day."  It was appointed to be sung in the house of the sanctuary on the Sabbath day.  Worship & praise, which are the business of the Sabbath, are recommended & abundant in this psalm. 

The Sabbath day is a day of rest from routine work, but includes holy work.  The proper work of the Sabbath is praising God; every Sabbath day must be a thanksgiving day.   ~ Matthew Henry

God's works are celebrated as great and unsearchable.  Over and over in the Psalms, we have been called to remember what God has done, to remember His great works of the past.  Matthew Henry comments:

From a joyful remembrance of what God has done for us, we may raise a joyful prospect of what He will do.  We cannot comprehend the greatness of God's works, and therefore must reverently and awfully wonder at them.

 

It is good . . . to declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night.
~ Ps. 92:2

"Morning and night" in verse 2 indicates daily regular worship, which deepens fellowship with God.  A wonderful result from our daily Psalms study, isn't it!


The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.
~ Ps. 92:12
Date palm tree        Megiddo, Israel



The palm tree is ever-green, and its dates are pleasant and nourishing.  Have you ever seen a palm tree in a storm or hurricane?  Strong winds can bend the palm over so far that it almost touches the ground; yet when the winds cease, the palm tree returns to its erect stance.  It has been said of the palm:

sub pondere crescit - the more it's pressed down, the more it grows.   

And so the righteous.  God knew His children would encounter difficult times, that "storms" would come.  We are assured in Psalm 92 that we will be like the palm - we will flourish under our burdens.  Storms of life will come and we will be buffeted by tumultuous winds, but we will come back stronger than before and increased in our faith. 

Matthew Henry notes this regarding the palm:

  

The strength of grace does not fail with the strength of nature!

 Do you see why God's children are likened to this tree!

Palm trees also continue to produce fruit even as they age - a good point to remember!  The last days of God's saints are sometimes their best days, and their last work is sometimes their best work.  No matter our age, we can used of God to advance His kingdom!

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God is worthy of my thanks and praise
• God is faithful and lovingly kind
• God's works are great
• God is on high forevermore
• The Lord is upright
• God is my rock
• God is altogether righteous

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord for His great works, shown to His children of old and to me today!
• I praise the Lord that He has made me like a palm tree, that I will flourish under burdens which produce sanctification in my soul
• I praise the Lord that He is my rock, and that He is holy

PRAYER:  during this Psalms study, I've shared some of the prayers written by Ruth Myers.  Today is a beautiful prayer of thankfulness for the "storms" -  may we pray this prayer as 'palm trees' today:

     Father, I'm so delighted that You are both loving and sovereign, and that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those are who are called according to Your purpose.  So I thank You for each disturbing or humbling situation in my life, for each breaking or cleansing process You are allowing, for each problem or hindrance, for each thing that that triggers in me anxiety, anger or pain.  And I thank You for each disappointment, each demanding duty, each pressure, each interruption that may arise in the coming hours and days.

     Thank You that each difficulty is an  opportunity to see You work . . . that in Your time, You will bring me out to a place of abundance.  I rejoice that You plan to enrich and beautify me through each problem, each conflict,  each struggle. . . that through them You expose my weaknesses and needs, my hidden sins, my self-centeredness and especially my self-reliance and pride!  Thank You that You use trials to humble me and perfect my faith and produce in me the quality of endurance . . . that they prepare the soil of  my heart for the fresh new growth in godliness that You & I both long to see in me . . . and that my momentary troubles are producing for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, as I keep my eyes focused on You.  I am grateful that You look beyond my superficial desire for a trouble-free life; instead You fulfil my deep-down desire to glorify You, enjoy Your warm fellowship, and become more like Your Son.  ~Amen and amen!

Psalm 91

Abiding in the "Shadow of the Almighty"

 

Psalm 91 is another beautiful expression of God's love & protection over His children.  Matthew Henry calls it a 'writ of protection for all true believers, in the name of the King of Kings, and under the broad seal of Heaven."   Psalm 91 appears to be a composite of a wisdom poem and a divine oracle.  It gives the reader assurance of the security that the Messiah and His followers may find in God. 

 

Again and again throughout the Psalms, we are reminded that our God can be TRUSTED.  Are you recognizing this recurring truth as you ponder the things you can learn about God in each psalm?  What security is there in knowing God is trustworthy.

 

Again, the reference to protection under God's "wing" is mentioned in this psalm - as a mother bird protects her chick.  Baby chicks are so vulnerable to predators . . . unable to fly or feed themselves, they are completely helpless and dependent upon their mothers.  How wise we are as God's children to recognize our utter dependence upon Him!

Those who live a life of communion with God are constantly safe under His protection.  ~ Matthew Henry 

As we are reminded in verses 9-10, security is available to those who make the Most High - and not something else - their refuge.   

For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
~ Ps. 91:11-12

 

WHAT CAN I LEARN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• God my refuge and fortress
• God is worthy of my trust
• God is my protector, night & day
• God has given His angels charge over me

HOW CAN I PRAISE GOD THROUGH THIS PSALM:

• I praise the Lord for the security I have in Him - that He is my refuge, my protector, my dwelling place 
• I bless Him that His protection is continual, night and day
• I praise the Lord for guardian angels who watch over me

PRAYER:  this prayer was penned by Ruth Myers regarding Psalm 91:

      O Lord, how delighted I am to have You as my dwelling place where I can settle down, feel secure, and be content anywhere on earth . . . You are my blessed home "where I can enter and be at rest even when all around and above is a sea of trouble" (Andrew Murray).  How my soul delights to hide in the secret of Your presence . . . to take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, to eat at Your table, to drink my fill of the river of Your delights.  How blessed I am, my King and my God, for You have chosen me, and brought me near, to live in Your presence, to behold Your delightfulness, to seek Your counsel  . . And to think that I will dwell in Your house forever!  Amen