July 27 – August 2 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
July 27
Psalms 69:16-36
16. Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
17. And hide not thy face from thy servant; for I am in trouble: hear me speedily.
18. Draw nigh unto my soul, and redeem it: deliver me because of mine enemies.
19. Thou hast known my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee.
20. Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none.
21. They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
22. Let their table become a snare before them: and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.
23. Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
24. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.
25. Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
26. For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
27. Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.
28. Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.
29. But I am poor and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.
30. I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
31. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.
32. The humble shall see this, and be glad: and your heart shall live that seek God.
33. For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not his prisoners.
34. Let the heaven and earth praise him, the seas, and everything that moveth
therein.
35. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah: that they may dwell there, and have it in possession.
36. The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name
shall dwell therein.
This prayer pleads for the lovingkindness, mercy and salvation of God. What poverty and sorrow of soul can lambast the saint! The soul is broken and no man can help. Men only pour fuel on the fire. God alone is the cure to a wounded, smitten spirit and His nearness is all that can comfort it. Remember that the Man of Sorrows had His hour of soul-anguish, far beyond what any human has experienced and cried, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
“The humble shall see this and be glad; and your heart shall live that seek God.” May hope arise and ease the waiting in the midst of the soul-shattering flood. “The Lord despiseth not his prisoners,” who are locked into a situation, where there is no escape and no human help. “The Lord heareth the poor...God will save Zion...that they may dwell there...” Those that live to please God will yet be lifted above the flood to sing and magnify Him.
July 28
Psalms 70
1. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD.
2. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.
3. Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.
4. Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
5. But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.
This Psalm seems to be a short summary of the previous one. In considering our enemies, we do well not to underestimate them. In the last Psalm, we found that they are more than the hairs of our head (69:4). It is comforting to know that He that numbers the hairs of our head has all our adversaries before Him (69:19). These enemies can be spiritual, human, environmental, emotional, fleshly or worldly. We often do not recognize them or know how to deal with them, but He does and will.
It is legitimate to call on God for quick aid. It is our part to pray and it is His business to help. From prayer for personal needs, David habitually asks for “all those.” In this way, the Holy Spirit brings promise and hope to every generation, including ours. Be a seeker and lover of His salvation. Be a God-magnifier, and experience heavenly joy and gladness. He will be your help and deliverer.
July 29
Psalms 71:1-8
1. In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.
2. Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
3. Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
5. For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.
6. By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.
7. I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.
8. Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.
When God is our strong habitation, hope and trust, then we do right to pray that we never be put to shame. His honor must be upheld. We are a wonder to many and they observe to see how things will turn out. They must be shown the Rock and Fortress, the absolute steadfastness and rock-solid faithfulness of the Almighty.
How God desires to manifest His glory to the youth, who begin this walk of trust! The young Christian should recognize the hand of God in meeting him at an early age, as He met David, Joseph and Moses, to name a few. To be placed in a Christian family, as they were, to know God’s care from youth, and hear the call of God early in life is unspeakable blessing. At this moment, some young people are being taught by God and will, at an early age, become lion and bear killers. A little later they will face Goliath, then stand in place of Saul in the kingdom.
July 30
Psalms 71:9-18
9. Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
10. For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
11. Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.
12. O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.
13. Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.
14. But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.
15. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.
16. I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.
17. O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.
18. Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.
What is needed in this generation is a people that will demonstrate true Christianity and preserve it for the next. The only ones, who can possibly do so, are those willing to fall in the ground and die. His strength is made perfect in our weakness and His life proceeds from our death. Verse 18 expresses a desire to manifest the Lord’s might in a time when natural strength has waned. Verse 16 clearly reveals the means to that end.
This is revival talk. This is renewal of eagles’ strength as in Isaiah 40:30-31. When the vigor of youth has abated, when natural reasoning pronounces the death sentence, when the enemies of the Lord and His righteousness move in for the kill, that is just the time for God to be glorified. The desperate cry comes forth from aged lips, “Make haste”. If God would use them, He must use them now. Cry to the Lord to move now!
July 31
Psalms 71:19-24
19. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!
20. Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
21. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
22. I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
23. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
24. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.
We are His, just as David was His. God has given commandment to save. “Behold I have received commandment to bless; and He hath blessed and I cannot reverse it.” It is a righteous thing for him to show mercy and grace. He has fully accepted us in Christ and thereby clearly glorified the richness of His grace. It is the good pleasure of His will, purposed before any human existed, to have adopted us as His children. This is the plan of Him, who takes no counsel from man. We who trust Him and have been obedient to the gospel of truth are His pleasure and the praise of His glory. He has chosen us to love Him. May that be the motivation to holiness and blamelessness. Declare His wondrous works. Let neighbors, relatives, companions and strangers hear about the great things of God.
August 1
Psalms 72:1-3
1. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
2. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
3. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
The theme of chapter 71 continues in 72. David has been heard in his old age. God’s strength was shown to his generation by the defeat of his enemies. Succeeding generations reaped the benefits and godliness was preserved. The Spirit of Christ testified of a reign of peace, justice and righteousness through Solomon.
The first earthly type of God’s kingdom was given in Genesis through Melchizedek, a king of peace and righteousness. We are reading here a prediction of the kingdom of Solomon. When Jesus came to earth, he demonstrated a glorious spiritual kingdom that came without observation. It is the kingdom of the heart. Its literal and total fulfillment will take place in a millennial reign upon the earth at His second coming. However, the principles brought forth in this Psalm are applicable to our hearts today and to all generations.
August 2
Psalms 72:3-9
3. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
4. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
5. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
6. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
7. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
8. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
9. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
In our times, this Psalm has a spiritual application, but one day it will have a literal one. Today, the church can flourish, as God pours out spiritual rain. The word of God will prosper and have free course. That is as close as we can get to heaven on this earth. It is that to which Peter was referring, when he spoke of “times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.” Souls bow in submission, conquered by the word. The atmosphere is charged with spiritual electricity and whole communities sense the flow of divine life.
May the King of Peace rule the heart in righteousness. When God judges and deals rightly in situations, people learn to fear Him. Righteousness brings peace. When we adhere to God’s righteous ways, confusion, strife and wrangling disappear. Mountains typify His provision for our defense, warding off the advances of the enemies. Rain is always a type of the initial blessings that come down from heaven to water the hearts of men. Rain produces rivers and crops and returns to heaven to complete the cycle. “From Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Recommended Books
Post a Comment