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Lowell Brueckner

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May 7 - 13 Daily Meditations in the Psalms,

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May 7

Psalms 36:8a

8.  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

     God, Who never lies, yet swore with an oath to Abraham, is not content that His people be just satisfied, but will have them abundantly satisfied. What is the source of their satisfaction? It is His house and to better describe the contents of the house, the Holy Spirit applies the word fatness. Now picture, if you will, a mansion, a palace, a castle, or the White House, with servants scurrying here and there, with storerooms of supply, and a kitchen with cooks and bakers. All of these will fall far short of giving you an idea of the fatness of His house. The Light of Life must illuminate our spirits through an experiential discovery in prayer.
     What treasures unfold to those who seek those things, which are above! God’s house is “where it’s at” and heaven, which will one day be ours by sight, is now ours through the eyes of faith. We look for a city whose builder and maker is God. An enlightened Abraham can never be attached to the earth with more than tent stakes. His house with a foundation is above. It is an insult to God, when we scratch in the earth like chickens, eking out an existence, and pursuing fleeting pleasures.



May 8

Psalms 36:8b

8.  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

     The Psalmist writes here of Thy house and Thy pleasures. We need to emphasize that all the blessings available to the believer come in direct proportion to the depth of his relationship with the Lord. He experiences these things through Jesus. Jesus prayed that the people, who were given to him, would be with Him where He is to behold His glory (John 17:24). He wanted them to experience His joy.
     The secret to walking in the Light of Life comes, not from inviting the Lord into our lives and situations, and certainly not from any blessing we might want apart from Him. It comes by letting Him lift us into heavenly places to partake with Him of the pleasures that He enjoys. What a joy it is to fellowship with Jesus in the environment in which He feels most at home!
     There is a river along which Jesus has walked with the Father since before the foundations of the earth. Its waters are purer than the cleanest spring on earth. Its banks teem with life of  lush vegetation and fruitful trees. The air is fresher than a mountain breeze. Nothing this earth offers comes close to comparing with the untiring wonder of God’s own stream of pure, heavenly pleasure.


May 9

Psalms 36:8

8.  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.

     I take exception to the present-day emphasis in Christian circles of here-and-now, earthly success. How shortsighted that teaching is! God’s people are robbed of His best, when they are taught to desire and put their minds to things that will shortly pass away. “They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (1 Timothy 6:9). One cannot follow the path of earthly prosperity long, before he finds himself overtaken by unwanted lusts. It is no wonder, then, that adultery and other snares become common to Christians living under such a delusion.
     Let Lot choose the well-watered land. The seed of Abraham will let God administer earthly prosperity. “Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content.” God will often add much to this basis, if we will turn it into a useful tool for his purposes and not become enamored by it. When we look for shelter, we ought to ask the Lord for something useful, which will not be a financial burden. God will often throw in frills and extras. Then, our home ought to quickly become an evangelistic center for ministry and hospitality. Sinners should sit around our dinner table. We ought to be ready at any time to leave it behind to go on to a new field of endeavor for Christ.

May 10

Psalms 36:8-10

8.  They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
9.  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
10.  O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

     The quest and the light shine heavenward, where we hold our citizenship. It would be good to sing again the song the old-timers used to sing, “This world is not my home, I’m just a-passing through”, but many, many modern Christians would be singing a lie. They cheat themselves. God’s house of fatness and the river that flows through his property are now available for those who take their seat in heavenly places. He “hath blessed us with ALL SPIRITUAL blessings in HEAVENLY places in Christ Jesus.”
     Blessed is the person who will go into his closet, shut the door and be transported, not by imagination, but by revelation, into God’s country. I am of the persuasion that heaven can be more real than earth to him. Enoch must have been of that number. Far from being of no earthly use, this person can bring heaven down to earth. The early ministers gave themselves to prayer and filled Jerusalem with celestial aroma. Every revival has been the result of a few people tapping into God’s river and channeling it to the lost and hopeless, turning deserts into fountains.
     The prayer of David was for light, in order to continue his walk. Notice verse 10: “O CONTINUE thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.” It is a valid prayer because Matthew chapter 25 speaks of five whose lamps went out. The final verdict was that the Lord never knew them. The path of life, which is lit for us, begins and ends with God and we enter it through a personal knowledge of Him.


May 11

Psalms 36:9-10

9.  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
10.  O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

     It is a spiritual law that states, “To him that has, more shall be given.” Only he, who has the love of God shed abroad in his heart, can continue to receive His lovingkindness. Only the upright in heart continues in His righteousness. The one, who knows the Lord, presses on to know the Lord. Only in His light does he see light “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.’” A flame of desire burns in the heart of the enlightened one, causing him to receive more light. The upright one receives more righteousness. God has lit the flame and the more it consumes, the hotter it burns. What can satisfy it? “I shall be satisfied, when I awake with Thy likeness” (Psalms 17:15). The God-inspired soul never levels off this side of heaven.
     Those that are at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1) bother me. They are the first to become captives (Amos 6:7). Deliver us God from complacency! Save us from accepting the status quo! Burn on, oh flame of God! Continue thy lovingkindness! Continue thy righteousness!


May 12

Psalms 36:11

11.  Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

     In this Psalm, we learn of the evil extremities, the corrupt hand and foot. Start by praying against the foot of pride. It is useless to pray against the hand before the foot is bound. The hand can do nothing, unless the foot takes it to its destination. Pride gives wickedness its mobility. Cripple the motivating force of pride and wickedness will not have a leg to stand on. “A haughty spirit comes before a fall.” All the wickedness in the world cannot reach the heart of the humble. Only the proud dare break the commandments of God. Only the arrogant speak blasphemies. Only the haughty act independently of Him. Trip pride at its own doorstep and wickedness can be kept at arm’s length.
     It was when David became complacent as king that he felt himself important enough to stay home from the battle. This led him to the roof of lust and murder. Solomon followed with both feet in the height of his reign, took many foreign wives and grasped their foreign gods. What can expose this speedy enemy, pride, before he overtakes us and wickedness pushes us off the path of righteousness? Only the light of God can see and warn us in time.


May 13

Psalms 36:9, 12

9.  For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
12.  There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

     We need to hear of failures, as well as successes. The Bible supplies both. The most fearsome, soul-shaking, real-life stories ever written lie in the sacred pages of Holy Scripture. They are of people who lived and walked on the face of the earth. It tells of those who fell, were cast down and will never rise. Their abandoned souls at this very moment are tormented in unquenchable fire. Pharaoh is there. His wickedness and cruelty were intolerable, so God hardened his heart against unquestionable acts of sovereign might. Nothing could penetrate his hardened heart and it remains hard in hell. Jezebel is there. She fought God and His prophets to the day of her death and ever after that, her screams echo through the corridors of Hades. Hamon is there. His wrath was kindled when Mordecai’s knee would not bow to him, and became an uncontrollable blaze that sought the death of all Jews. The motivating force that led him to the noose, and worked destruction to the others mentioned here, was a thing called pride. It has doomed countless multitudes.
     These accounts in the Bible have a purpose. They are the light that leads to life and warns us of every pitfall and snare that death casts across our paths.
Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on! The night is dark, and I am far from home.
Lead Thou me on! Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see,
The distant scene; one step enough for me.


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