May 7 - 13 Daily Meditations in the Psalms,
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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