September 14 - 20 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
September 14
Psalms 90:9-17
9. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
10. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
11. Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
12. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
13. Return, O LORD, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
14. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15. Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.
16. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
17. And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
As the Israelites, who were destined to wander forty years in the wilderness, so the tale of our life was told before the foundation of the world. In spite of that fate, Moses was satisfied to live in the presence of God. “If You go not with us, then we will not go up,” he said years before. His presence makes the wilderness to bloom and Moses and his followers could rejoice and be glad all their days. We need to apply our hearts to wisdom and spend each day in the fullness of His will. Man is foolish to rebel against his Creator. Do Your work and show Your glory, oh Lord. Though our geographical position does not improve, let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us. He is all we need anywhere. May our lives count for eternity, as Moses’ did, though he died in the wilderness.
September 15
Psalms 91:1-4, 9
1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
9. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
The first verse of Psalm 91 joins it to Psalm 90 and the theme, God our Dwelling Place, continues. We should drop, once and for all, a concept of Christianity as a religious part of one’s existence. It is our life and it provides all the essentials, including our dwelling. This abode is a secret place and there is a mystery about God’s business to insure our protection. In time of war, no government carelessly makes known either its offense or defense. The secret of the Lord is reserved for him that fears Him. The world, the devil, and even the flesh are left in the dark. It is a high place. Heights are sought out for defense, which explains the clamor for outer space in these days. Shoot for greater heights yet, by dwelling in the most High, where there is security and comfort. The Psalmist refers to shadow, feathers and wings. Jesus said, “How oft would I have gathered you, as a hen gathers her chicks.” The allegory depicts the Almighty, as a great mother hen, under whose wings His cherished ones can abide.
What in creation can touch us? Paul said, “If God be for us, who can be against us.” and “I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor principality…shall be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” Psalms 91 is the Romans 8 of the Old Testament.
Verse 9 repeats the assertion of the previous chapter that the person of the Lord Himself is our habitation. Our spiritual home is not an “it”, but a “He”. It is our business to make this a reality in our lives. “If ye abide,” Jesus declared, clearly showing human responsibility. Will you live there or will you not? He is not a recreational center or a vacation spot. He is not a summer home or a winter retreat. Will you make Him your place of permanent and constant abode?
September 16
Psalms 91:2-13
2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6. Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10. There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Trusting is not a hobby; it is a full-time occupation. It is the air we breathe. We do not trust God for something, but enter into a place of trust for everything, all the time. That place is protected by truth, delivering from deceitfully luring sin and error, designed to bring the beguiled captive under a foreign power. There are fads, trendy things, that sweep in with powerful force and influence whole territories, affecting nearly every household. They are the devil’s counterfeits to revival. Truth wards off hidden, dark fears of the night, as well as open attacks in broad daylight.
The called-apart ones are not only set apart for divine service and divine protection. God puts His mark upon them and they are spared, whereas a thousand and ten thousand times their number fall before the onslaught. If our dwelling is the Lord, then the only evil plagues that can touch us are those that go through Him. The enemy’s plans disintegrate at the gates of our home. Angels attend us and lift us on their wings, before we stumble. Not only do they protect our pathway, but along the way, our feet are a weapon to crush lions, adders and dragons. It is our walk that kills them.
September 17
Psalms 91:13-16
14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
“He hath set his love upon Me...I will set him on high.” Set yourself in the Lord’s arms and He will carry you in victory over conflicts and dangers. Personal friendship and fellowship mean a great deal to God. He wants us to have personal, experiential knowledge of His character. David could say, “I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts.” He does more than provide escape, but brings victory and honor. God has a full-fledged victory celebration in mind. He not only offers life, but life abundantly. He wants to reveal all the corners and avenues of this thing called salvation. Make the most High your habitation, love Him and He will orchestrate deliverance and subsequent benefits.
September 18
Psalms 92:1-6
Song for the sabbath day
1. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:
2. To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
3. Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.
4. For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.
5. O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.
6. A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.
This Psalm is titled “for the Sabbath day.” Glorying in the works of the Lord is what the Sabbath day is all about. We enter into His rest. Start the day, assured of His lovingkindness and look forward to seeing Him work. At night, as you look back, you will have the evidence of His faithfulness all day long.
The Sabbath is a day to celebrate that which the Lord has done. If you remove your feet from doing your own pleasures, then the Lord will guide them into His delight. “Oh the pure delight of a single hour, that before thy throne I spend.” All else are fleeting, deceitful tidbits that dissolve before they can be truly tasted. To experience the Lord is a lasting delight to the taste and a satisfying fullness in the belly. Meditation springs from the heart and engulfs the soul. It opens our eyes to the work that the Lord is doing and its magnitude. It can be overwhelming. The man of the world has no way to comprehend any of it. You do as well talking to the wall, as to try to explain the thoughts of God to him.
September 19
Psalms 92:7-12
7. When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:
8. But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.
9. For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
10. But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
11. Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.
12. The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
The wicked are exalted, only that they might be dropped from a higher place. They live for the moment. It is not the heights that can be reached presently that count, but what remains high forever. Once and for all, let us remove our sights from the pragmatic, which appears to bring results and success. Look to the highest, which will stand forever. On the Lord’s day, of all days, we should be able to see it, for on His day, we take time to get away from the world around us and gaze into the eternal. It is a special time to give God a chance to teach. Get the fresh oil on the Sabbath, get the anointing, and rise up to heights in the Lord. Flourish, not like the grass, but like the fruitful tree and look down on that which quickly sprouts and then dies.
September 20
Psalms 92:13-15
13. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
15. To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
On the Sabbath, look to spiritual soil and see that your roots go down into God’s land. Sink into heavenly loam. Spend time in the house of God, not as a visitor, rare or frequent, but get planted there. Stay until you root and become a plant in the eternal courts. Obviously, we will need more than one Sabbath a week to obtain that position. Enter into His rest and stay there. It is an enduring work that will overcome old age. You will be a, a vibrant and healthy specimen in the Senior Citizens’ Center. Others will see that it pays to serve Jesus. He is a righteous rock and the person, who stands on Him, has firm footing and sure rewards.
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