Psalm 83

Psalm 83 has a plea going to God to intercede.  It seems that the enemies of Israel are all around.  “Those who hate you have raised their heads”.  The people of God are at risk, and the psalmist does the one thing that we all need to do when we are overwhelmed – stop and seek God’s face.  He alone can handle the things that overwhelm us.  He alone is able to come to our aid.  He alone can see the entire situation and can deal with it with a spoken word.  He alone is God.

So what was the situation at hand?  Here is what scripture describes:

-       “your enemies make an uproar

-       those who hate you have raised their heads

-       They lay crafty plans against your people

-       they consult together against your treasured ones

-       They say, Come, let us wipe them out as a nation

-       let the name of Israel be remembered no more

-       they conspire with one accord

-       against you they make a covenant”

Their goal is pretty clear – they intend to destroy the people of God.

The writer recalls how God had come to their aid so many times before.  God has destroyed overwhelming enemies many times in the past.  The list is long of peoples that are lining up to destroy the children of Israel.  But the history is deep of God’s faithfulness and protection of his people.  He has made them “like a whirling dust….like chaff before the wind” many times before.  God has consumed enemies with fire and put them to shame and dismay forever.

My favorite comment by the writer is his remembrance of enemies of the past who “became dung for the ground”.  That describes a pretty powerful response by God.  He is able.  And the writer asks that they “perish in disgrace”.  Is this just a plea to save their hide?  No – the psalmist is clear that while being protected is definitely on the list of requests, the driving focus is “that they may know that you alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth”.  That is what our lives need to express as well.  We need to shout God’s name and domination over the earth.  He is King.  And our lives need to point to that truth!

Psalm 82

Psalm 82 makes it pretty clear that God alone is judge.  He doesn’t share that place with anyone.  This chapter is a condemnation on the earthly judges who have been taking liberty to do whatever they wanted – “judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked”.  God alone sits on the throne above all.  “God has taken his place in the divine council”.  Man doesn’t have the power or the right to make up the rules or law.  God has declared it, and will judge us all by it.

The psalmist calls out the basics of God’s law:

-       “Give justice to the weak and the fatherless

-       maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute

-       Rescue the weak and the needy

-       deliver them from the hand of the wicked”

This isn’t what the evil judges of the day were doing.  They were using their place of power to get what they wanted.  They made themselves the center of their actions.

What does that mean to you and me?  Scripture says “They have neither knowledge nor understanding, they walk about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken”.  Basically when we think we can take God’s law and make it our own – we are idiots.  We can’t change what God has determined to make it fit our needs or desires.  We can’t mold God’s truth into our own little tool to get what we want.  We won’t succeed in being selfish in how we apply His truth.  Our only response can be to obey the law God’s way.

We will all tie, whether we are a simple Iowa farm boy, or some judge that has been given power in the kingdom.  The psalmist is writing directly to the leaders and power brokers of the day.  His message is clear – that you may have a place of authority but “like men you shall die, and fall like any prince”.  None of us will escape that outcome.  No one will be spared the reality that we will someday stand before the true God and have to account for what we have done.  Judgment day is coming.  Are you ready?  Have you dealt with your eternity?  Jesus is the litmus test.  Make sure you are in right standing!

Psalm 150

Psalm 150 is the final psalm.  And while chronologically we will be seeing some others on our journey, it is important to remember how the book starts, and compare it to how it ends.  Psalm 1 begins with the realization that God is in control and blessing happens when we delight in God and His Word.  It is about the relationship we can have with Him.  And the last book, the last words, are still focused on God.  “Praise the Lord”.  There is a picture of what our life should reflect.  God as we begin, and God as we end.  It is all about Him!

We continue to get a lesson in praise.  Check it out:

1.  Where

“Praise God in his sanctuary

praise him in his mighty heavens”

2.  Why

“Praise him for his mighty deeds

praise him according to his excellent greatness”

3.  How

“Praise him with trumpet sound

 praise him with lute and harp

Praise him with tambourine and dance

praise him with strings and pipe

Praise him with sounding cymbals

praise him with loud clashing cymbals”

4.  Who

“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord”

That pretty well sums it up.  We are to praise God everywhere.  We are to praise Him because He is, and was, and will be.  He has done everything.  We are to praise him with lots of sound.  Praise is not a quiet – definitely not silent activity.  It doesn’t happen sitting on our hands quietly in a pew at church.  Praise is action.  It is exalting Him.  It is filled with sound and life.  And the ‘who’ is probably most important.  It is all encompassing.  It is for everyone.  There are no exceptions, except dead people, and they probably will be praising Him too.

It isn’t even tied to being a human.  “Let everything that has breath” is pretty inclusive.  That takes in the smallest of creation to the largest.  The reality is that God is God of all of it.  We sometimes think life is all about us, even broadly as human beings.  We are special.  We were created in His image. But we weren’t the first thing He created.  We certainly were not the only thing He created.  And the reality is that all things will praise Him.  We need to make sure we are living that way.  It ends like this:  “Praise the Lord”.  That is our charge.  That is what we are to do – the lifestyle we must live!

Psalm 149

Psalm 149 continues to give us insight into what it means to “praise the Lord”.  It strikes me that the psalmist doesn’t say ‘praise your kids’ or praise your spouse’ or ‘praise your team’ or ‘praise the dog’.  The world would tell us that we need to be focused on praising others to build them up and raise their self esteem.  That is not what scripture is telling us to do with God.  God doesn’t need our praise.  We need to praise Him.  This is not about meeting God’s emotional needs.  It is about putting God where He belongs in our life – on the throne – at the top – in control – and taking action to make that part of how we relate to Him.

Praise flows to God but is rooted in our need to get our perspective right.  We are told to “sing to the Lord a new song”.  For many of us, being told to sing is not the most comfortable thing in our world.  I personally love to sing, but realize many don’t.  I tend to not be quite as excited about the new song concept however.  I like the old and familiar, not necessarily hymns, but definitely songs I know and feel I can sing well.  But God isn’t about our praise being comfortable.  It isn’t about us.  Praise is about Him.  It is recognizing Him for who He is.  He tells us elsewhere in scripture to make a joyful noise.  He isn’t worried about how well we sing.  He wants us to put Him on the throne!

It gets more challenging, at least for me.  “Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre”.  Now we are getting way outside my comfort zone God.  I can’t dance – and I can’t play an instrument.  Singing is quite a stretch since I never learned how to read music.  Yet God is not again focused on how well we do any of these things.  God doesn’t rate our praise.  We aren’t getting a praise rating.  God judges our hearts.  God wants us to worship Him.  “Let the godly exult in glory, let them sing for joy on their beds.  Let the high praises of God be in their throats”.  God is looking for a lifestyle of praise and worship.  He wants a relationship!

Why does it matter?  Because God desires it.  “For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation”.  God not only wants, but He is in relationship with us.  God loves us.  God enjoys us.  God wants us to come to Him with praise.  Does He deserve it?  Absolutely.  He is the author of life.  He is the giver of salvation.  He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  And even though He has done all that, He still wants an individual and personal relationship with you and me.  One on one, day by day, morning til evening – God desires and takes pleasure in us.  It is amazing.  It is a blessing we need to learn to make our lifestyle.  Praising God is powerful and can change our world each day.  We just need to make the time and do it!

Psalm 148

Psalm 148 continues the journey on learning the basics of praising God.  It begins with the command: “Praise the Lord”.  Maybe command is not the right word – it really is an expectation. It is a way of living.  It is waking up each morning with the reality that God is, was, and has been there forever.  He didn’t just swoop in this morning to bless us.  He is the blessing and has been there from the beginning.  In fact, He is the beginning, the journey, and the end.   We are told that He is worthy of praise no matter our place.  “Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights”!  God is above all, literally, and worthy of our praise.

The psalmist goes on to let us know who should praise Him.  In a word – the answer is everyone.  Every being, every thing, every part of creation.  God deserves praise from all.  But the psalmist takes the time to list it out so it is more than obvious.  So here is the list:

• “all his angels
• all his hosts
• sun and moon
• all you shining stars
• you highest heavens
• you waters above the heavens
• you great sea creatures
• all deeps
• fire and hail
• snow and mist
• stormy wind fulfilling his word
• Mountains and all hills
• fruit trees
• all cedars
• Beasts and all livestock
• creeping things and flying birds
• Kings of the earth
• all peoples
• princes
• all rulers of the earth
• Young men and maidens together
• old men
• children”

What a list.  Let’s list the exemptions:

Now that is a very short list.  There are none.  All of us, every part of creation, everything that has been, is, or will be is to praise the Lord.  The writer tells us why we should praise God.  “For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away”.  God was, and is, and will always be.  That is the short answer.  He is the author of creation, the giver of life, and the director of eternity.  God is.  And our response should be one thing – PRAISE.  Is that how you typically start your day with God?  By praising Him?  Or do you begin with a laundry list of things you need help with or need His touch upon?  We need to put God where He belongs – on the top of our praise list.

I encourage you to hear what the psalmist tells us as the way we should live.  “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven….Praise the Lord”!  So what’s that look like?  It isn’t some formal kind of activity.  It isn’t some book you have to read.  It is realizing that God sits on the throne of your life, and the entire universe.  It is giving Him the focus and honor that He deserves.  It is recognizing throughout the day that every good and perfect gift comes from Him.  It is slowing down and giving credit where it is due.  God wants to be the center of our universe.  Let me restate that.  God is the center of our universe.  He wants us to recognize that.  He wants to be given the honor and glory and praise worthy of His place as King.  Praise the Lord.  That is our task! 

Psalm 147

Psalm 147 is another call to praise the Lord.  It reminds us that “it is good to sing praises to our God….for it is pleasant….and a song of praise is fitting”.  Praise is to be our way of interaction with the Father.  He is worthy.  The psalmist goes on to list out dozens of reasons why.  Ever wonder what God does with His time?  Here is a pretty impressive resume.  Check out the list of all that the writer records:

 

-       “The Lord builds up Jerusalem

-       he gathers the outcasts of Israel

-       He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds

-       He determines the number of the stars

-       he gives to all of them their names

-       The Lord lifts up the humble

-       he casts the wicked to the ground

-       He covers the heavens with clouds

-       he prepares rain for the earth

-       he makes grass grow on the hills

-       He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry

-       the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him

-       he strengthens the bars of your gates

-       he blesses your children within you

-       He makes peace in your borders

-       he fills you with the finest of the wheat

-       He sends out his command to the earth

-       his word runs swiftly

-       He gives snow like wool

-       he scatters hoarfrost like

-       He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs

-       He sends out his word, and melts them

-       he makes his wind blow and the waters flow

-       He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel

-       He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rule”

In the middle of the list of all that God does comes these words: “Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure”.  God is really amazing.  He is great, and greatly to be praised.  The chapter ends the way it began: “Praise the Lord”!  Plenty of reasons why.  God is worthy, more than worthy of our glory and honor and praise.  The only question is whether or not we are taking the time to do it!

Psalm 146

Psalm 146 continues the education about praise.  “Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul”.  Praise is not some non-emotional reaction – it is a holistic pouring out of self to lift up our voice and spirit to the Lord.  It isn’t a suggestion – it is a command.  It is an action.  It requires us to be totally involved emotionally, spiritually and physically.  Praising the Lord is a way of life. It is a way of living.  It is a lifestyle.  And it involves all of me.  Praise the Lord, O my soul.  It isn’t some external only action. It involves our entire being.  It takes all of us, down to our very soul, to praise the Lord.

How long do we praise Him?  “I will praise the Lord as long as I live”.  That pretty much means with every breath we take.  We need to recognize God and His sovereignty continually.  How do we praise Him?  With all our soul, but also we are told “I will sing praises to my God while I have my being”. That reinforces the lifelong aspect of praise, but also that singing is one way we should be lifting up His name.  We should praise Him with our voice.  It isn’t something we should always do in a closet but verbally and often in front of others.

Whom should we trust?  “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation”.  We will be sorely disappointed if we put our trust in mere man – even a powerful person.  We cannot hope to find any kind of consistency and salvation in mankind.  God alone is our rock and source of eternal  life.  God alone is worthy of our praise.  God alone has the power to keep us.  It is He “who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin”.  Man does none of those things.  It is all God’s domain!

Bottom line is this: “The Lord will reign forever”.  No man can claim anything close.  God alone reigns, even though we often deceive ourselves as humans to think we have some control over the world around us.  We don’t.  It is His, all His, and we are merely allowed to be part of His plan.  He does remind us that He wants to be “your God”.  It is a personal relationship with us He desires.  Not because He needs us, but because He loves us.  He desires that we enter into His presence and have a relationship.  Do you have that with God?  Are you praising Him with all your soul?  If not, today is the day to begin.  He is worthy.  He deserves and desires our praise!

Psalm 134

Psalm 134 is a very short chapter.  Three simple verses but it gives us some great insight into how to worship our Lord.  “Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord”!  It begins with the realization that we need to come to the Lord.  Worship is an action.  We have to come to Him.  We have to move.  We have to do something to worship.  When we do take action, we need to realize that worship is not about us, but Him.  We are to do it to bless Him.  And it is our responsibility as a servant of the Lord.

We are not the center – we are simply a servant of His.  We serve Him, not the other way around.  Sometimes we forget that.  We think God is a genie in a bottle at our beckon call. But He isn’t.  He is the One worthy of our praise because He alone is Lord.  And worship is not something that we do sporadically.  It is something we need to do day and night – to recognize that He is always there and always deserving of our recognition and praise.  The action continues as we are told to “Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord”!

Lifting up our hands is another thing we need to do.  More action – not just sitting around.  We need to make God the center of our worship.  We need to realize that when we are in God’s presence, it is a holy place.  We need to spend time blessing the Lord.  It is our call.  It is how we should relate in His presence.  Why?  “May the Lord bless you from Zion, he who made heaven and earth”!  Because He is the source of all blessing.  He is the One who creates all things.  He is good.

Blessing the Lord is what we are called to do.  It is clear to see why.  It is “he who made heaven and earth”.  God is not just some Being hanging around in the sky.  He is the Creator.  Not of some things.  He is Creator of everything.  It began with heaven and earth but it continues to all things great and small, old and new, young and old.  He is the only source of life.  He is the amazing King of Kings.  We need to worship Him with all we are.  He is worthy of our praise.  Bless the Lord!

Psalm 136

Psalm 136 is the foundation of a popular praise and worship song “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever”.  This chapter has a simple theme.  The entire chapter talks about God and His faithfulness.  It lists dozens of ways that God has shown that He is faithful and that His love never ends.  It is a statement about God and who He is or what he has done, followed by these exact same words every time: “for His steadfast love endures forever”.

Big deal you say?  Yep – a mighty big deal.  Look at what the promise is here.  This isn’t just any love – this is God’s love – the love of the Father above.  It isn’t simple love but steadfast.  It lasts forever. It doesn’t waffle in the circumstances or change based on the day or activity.  It is constant, complete, and steady.  It is love, not some other action that we may more likely deserve.  God chooses to love us no matter what.  In the list of things in this chapter, they are not all good.  There are difficult times and good times.  God’s response to all is love.  That is who He is.  His love endures.  It doesn’t ebb or flow, it just continues.  It never slows or ceases, it goes on steady and dependably.  How long you may ask?  One word describes God’s steadfast love – FOREVER.  And forever is a very long time.  It is eternal.  It is unending.  It is all we will ever need or want.

So how does God get described here?  The list is long but well worth noting.  I’ll list the words that come before “for His steadfast love endures forever”.  This is how we should know God.  Some are adoration and praise, some are things He has done, some are promises of what He will do, but all tell us a story of how blessed we are to be in relationship with the Creator of the Universe and a God who loves us no matter what.  Bask in His truth.  Pray over His goodness.  He is the blessed King and Lord of all.

“Give thanks to the Lord,

Give thanks to the God of gods

Give thanks to the Lord of lords

to him who alone does great wonders

to him who by understanding made the heavens

to him who spread out the earth above the waters

to him who made the great lights

the sun to rule over the day

the moon and stars to rule over the night

to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt

[to him who] brought Israel out from among them

[to him who] with a strong hand and an outstretched arm

to him who divided the Red Sea in two

[to him who let] Israel pass through the midst of it

[to him who] overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea

to him who led his people through the wilderness

to him who struck down great kings

[to him who] killed mighty kings

[to him who killed] Sihon, king of the Amorites

[to him who killed] Og, king of Bashan

[to him who] gave their land as a heritage

[to him who gave] a heritage to Israel his servant

It is he who remembered us in our low estate

[It is he who] rescued us from our foes

[It is he] he who gives food to all flesh

Give thanks to the God of heaven”

We need to give thanks.  The chapter begins that way.  It ends that way.  There is no other response that is adequate than just getting on our face and thanking God for all that He is, has done, and will do.  He alone is worthy of our praise.  He alone is the King.  He alone is our future and hope.  Our response needs to be awe and worship and praise and giving Him the glory due Him.  Are you doing that right now?  If not, when?  Do it!

Psalm 119:89-176

Psalm 119:89-176 is filled with words about God’s Word.  It is a textbook on the importance of scripture.  The psalmist begins by reminding us just how important God’s Word is:  “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day”.  He isn’t neutral about scripture. He loves the Word.  He meditates on it all day.  It is central to his life and what he does.  He realizes “Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me”.  That is the power of meditation.  After we memorize scripture, which puts it in our mind, we need to meditate on it and make it part of our heart.

But we also need to savor God’s Word.  “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth”!  Knowing God’s Word is such a powerful thing to do.  It satisfies so much.  It isn’t just something to read to keep us occupied. It is the very direction for how we should live.  “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”.  Do you have God’s Word as part of your routine every day?  Is it a habit in your life each day?

How else should we respond to God’s Word?  “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word”.  It is a safe place, a source of hope.  It keeps me from that which is evil.  And as a result, we should value it highly.  The psalmist tells us: “Therefore I love your commandments above gold”.  It is not just good – it is awesome.  It is worth more than gold.  It is a powerful part of our relationship with God.  He has given us His instruction manual for life.  And when we read it and live by it, good things happen.  “Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes”.  God wants to relate to us through His Word!

Does it matter in our life?  Yes, it absolutely does.  It is the way we find God and His salvation for us.  “I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments….I long for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight”.  God is the only One who can save.  He alone has the right to sit on the judgment throne and determine our eternity.  Is His face shining on you?  Is your future secure?  Do you know for sure that salvation will be the outcome of your life?  If not, now is the time to address it.  It is the most important thing we can do!