November 2 - 8 Daily Meditations in the Psalms
November 2
Psalms 114
1. When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language;
2. Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion.
3. The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.
4. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.
5. What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?
6. Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?
7. Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob;
8. Which turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.
It is no wonder that Moses determined not to go anywhere, unless the Lord would go with them. It was His presence that distinguished the people of God from all the nations on the earth. God’s preoccupation is with His people. All of creation cooperates with God’s leadings and dealings with them. Rivers, seas, and mountains become tools, through which He manifests His presence. For them, rocks turned to liquid and the earth trembled. The Egyptian Red Sea and the Canaanite Jordan responded in like fashion. Wherever He leads and accompanies us, however far from home it may be, mountains will shake, the seas will be stilled, rocks will break, bread will be multiplied, fish will pay taxes, and the fowls of the air will feed.
November 3
Psalms 115
1. Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake.
2. Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God?
3. But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.
4. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
5. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they
see not:
6. They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:
7. They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
8. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.
9. O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
10. O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
11. Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.
12. The LORD hath been mindful of us: he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron.
13. He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.
14. The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.
15. Ye are blessed of the LORD which made heaven and earth.
16. The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's: but the earth hath he given to the children of men.
17. The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.
18. But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.
God does everything for His namesake. Though His people are the beneficiaries, He seeks those who will be channels, through whom His glory, mercy and truth may be seen upon earth. The God-inhabited soul utters the prayer of the Psalmist in verse one. How can the heathen doubt the His presence with His people? Through the media of prayer, the living God, willing to show His glory, comes on the scene.
Our Lord cannot be controlled or commanded. He does what He pleases. Any god who can be manipulated is an idol, the fabrication of men’s minds and the work of his hands. He can move him at will. The Bible makes it clear that idolaters are not reasonable beings, but religion has paralyzed their God-given capabilities.
Our God cannot be controlled, but He can be trusted to do what is right. May we trust Him for the best intentions upon our lives, sure blessing and true success. He makes clear distinction between His chosen priesthood and those who have chosen to worship idols. The day is approaching, when men will no longer say “Where is their God?” His blessing will be evident upon those that fear Him for His name sake. With our words and by our lives, we will bless Him both now and forever.
November 4
Psalms 116:1-11
1. I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5. Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
7. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9. I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10. I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:
11. I said in my haste, All men are liars.
Answered prayer is a great spiritual incentive. Because He loves us and hears us, we love Him and give Him lifelong service. He yearns to help the helpless, who call on Him in distress. Our God is gracious, righteous, merciful, and bountiful. Trouble does come, but it is followed by a return to rest. Sorrow is succeeded by deliverance.
The believers speak sure words that are born in the heart. All men are not liars. There are those who speak the word of the Lord and it comes to pass. Men hear the voice of God through a process of death and resurrection. The Psalmist speaks of it and so does Paul. Some in our day have made an attempt to eliminate trouble and perplexity from Christian experience, but they do themselves and others a disservice. That which brings death to the natural man is the same means, by which life is infused into the spirit. The outward man perishes, but the inward man is renewed. The inward man is the man of truth, who hears from God and speaks on His behalf. The limitations of human life are put aside, so that the unlimited life of Christ may be manifested. It gives birth to unshakeable faith, which is the backbone of a ministry in the word of God that imparts life to the hearer. That spirit of faith is evident throughout the Old Testament and is carried into the New. It is still available to the end of this dispensation. Do you want it?
November 5
Psalms 116:12-19
12. What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
13. I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
14. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
15. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16. O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
17. I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
18. I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people,
19. In the courts of the LORD's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.
It is a wonderful privilege to be a servant of the Lord and under His faithful care. Take it seriously, walking faithfully before Him and people. Whatever temptation that would cause you to slip is not worth the loss. Pay the vows, take giant strides and do not back up. Yes, there is a price to pay. Sorrows of death, pains of hell, and trouble will come your way, but stand true, for Paul testified, we are not distressed, in despair, forsaken or destroyed. Prayer will become a real and necessary exercise and deliverance will follow. Only through trouble do we experience the high courts, where the Lord dwells and from there offer thanksgiving and praise. Trials and subsequent victory over them also are the benefits of the Lord.
November 6
Psalms 117
1. O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.
2. For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Here is a short summary of the Psalms, which precede it. The object of them all is to produce praise to the Lord. They are more than poetic exuberance. They have a worldwide purpose, which is not to be taken lightly. They contain our Lord’s Great Commission, which is to bring representatives of every kindred, nation, tongue, and tribe to a place of worthy praise to Him, whose merciful kindness is great and whose truth endures. In every generation, he sets the sin-captive free for all eternity. “For Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And hast made us kings and priests.” May this shortest of the Psalms take great effect in our life to evoke a hearty, “Praise ye the Lord.”
November 7
Psalms 118:1-20
1. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever.
2. Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
3. Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
4. Let them now that fear the LORD say, that his mercy endureth for ever.
5. I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.
6. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?
7. The LORD taketh my part with them that help me: therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me.
8. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
9. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10. All nations compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.
11. They compassed me about; yea, they compassed me about: but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
12. They compassed me about like bees; they are quenched as the fire of thorns: for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.
13. Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall: but the LORD helped me.
14. The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.
15. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
16. The right hand of the LORD is exalted: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.
17. I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.
18. The LORD hath chastened me sore: but he hath not given me over unto death.
19. Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD:
20. This gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.
We, who fear the Lord, trust in His goodness and mercy. Keep your heart firmly set in this position. God esteems and is jealous over our trust. If we trust without fainting, He will not forget to be merciful. Be free from the love of money and the fear of men. Go to God, before princes. Trust in the Lord will not remove distress, but it will bring us desperately to Him in prayer. The question is: To whom do we go in distress?
It is the business of the ungodly world system to besiege the believer and hold us to a perpetual standoff. We do not want to let it paralyze us from obtaining our inheritance in God. It took the name of the Lord to break Goliath’s fear grip on the people. Neither Saul nor his armor was of any use in that war. Jesus did not come to teach us some kind of spiritual self-defense, but rather to destroy the works of the devil, to bind the strong man and spoil his house. We need to learn offensive warfare, but only in the name of the Lord, trusting in Him. “The right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly ...The Lord is my strength and … my salvation.” It is His name, which will turn the oppressor on his heels.
The Lord is a chastener, but He does not intend destruction for His people. He is only leading us to the gates of righteousness. Walk through those gates and learn there to praise the Lord.
November 8
Psalms 118:21-29
21. I will praise thee: for thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation.
22. The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.
24. This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.
25. Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
27. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
28. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
28. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for
ever.
Men are blind and ignore the Lord’s work, but God will put every stone in its rightful place in His church. Look to the Headstone, rejected by men and see in Him the pattern that is set for the whole building. Look to what the LORD is doing, not men. The Jews did not recognize the day of their visitation. They could not discern the times and their significance in the purposes of God. Be careful not to settle into the spiritual stupor of routine living. The Lord is at work in this day. Look for the stones cut without hands, lowly and meek, but vibrating with the life of God. They are often rejected for their nonconformity and lack of pattern, but they are waiting only for the success that God sends. We need the Lord’s blessing in the Lord’s day. We need those who come in the name of the Lord, from the house of the Lord and do not trust in princes.
We want to review the steps of prosperity given in the Psalm: First, trust in the Lord alone and His mercy. The Psalm begins and ends with His mercy. So does the history of every ‘truster’. Next, prepare yourself in God’s way for spiritual warfare to destroy the forces of the enemy. Then, accept the chastening that leads to inner righteousness and free access into the Lord’s affairs. Discern and be involved in the Lord’s building program and in the prosperity of His kingdom (think about Nehemiah and Ezra). Return all the praise to Him, who from the beginning has been merciful and has given us light.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Recommended Books
Post a Comment