Psalm 112  The man "who fears the Lord"  and " delights in His commandments" is called "blessed" or happy.   To fear or revere the Lord , "is the beginning of wisdom"  and " A good understanding have all those who do His commandments." ( Ps. 111:10)  To delight means to incline to, bend, or be pleased with, to desire.   So... to be "happy"  we must have a righteous, reverent, fear of Jehovah, the Most High God.. and a heartfelt desire to do what He has commanded. 

The psalmist then lists the many blessings that God desires to bestow on those who meet these two qualifications:

He will bless your children and grandchildren.
He will bless you financially.
He will give you light in the darkest of times.
He will make you like Himself in graciousness, compassion, and righteousness.
He will make you "well" - do good to you and for you.
He will be on your side in legal judgements.
He will keep you from being "shaken".
He will remember you forever.
You will not be afraid of bad news.
Your heart will be steadfast and trust the Lord.
You will overcome the enemy.
You will be generous to those in need.
You will have righteousness .
You will be lifted up in honor.

The Bible dictionary has this to say about fear;
"Religious fear is the human response to the presence of God."
When God Himself appears to us and we experience the reality of His holiness we will be overwhelmed with awe and fear and fall on our faces before Him.  "The God of Israel is an awe-producing God because of His majesty, His power, His works, His transcendence, and His holiness." 
We will learn the "fear of God" as we experience His Presence - as we see His works, His power, His salvation, His majesty.
The fear of God is transformed from terror into "respect and reverence in which trust" is prominent, by the covenant relationship we have with Him.  In the Old Testament this was the covenant of the Law, but for us it is the New Covenant through Jesus Christ.
Fear of the Lord will result in worship and obedience.
Fear of the Lord is required by the Lord... Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "... what does the Lord your God require from you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes... " 
We learn the fear of the Lord by reading His Word and doing it every day. ( Deut. 17:19)

If we have the right "fear of the Lord"  we will "delight in His commandments."  We will want to order our lives according to His word and trust Him in all things.  We will joyfully serve Him and give Him our whole hearts.  We will love Him with our whole beings.
And when we do this... we will be blessed. Truly happy.
Praise the Lord!

Father in heaven,  teach me the fear of the Lord.  May I experience the reality of Your holy Presence. May I gain understanding of Your Word and do all that You have commanded, by the power of Your Spirit in me. To the glory of Your Name and through the One in whose name I pray,  Christ my Redeemer ,my King, and my Lord.  Amen.

I am still ruminating over Psalm 110 this morning.
Jesus, the Highest King, owns all of creation and rules it completely according to the will of the Father.  It is His Kingdom and His rules apply.
Jesus is the Highest Priest, and has the highest spiritual authority granted by the Father.  He alone is the way to God, the intercessor, the sacrifice, and the redeemer.
Jesus is the Highest power judicially.  He is higher than any Supreme Court and His judgements are righteous and  final.

Paul wrote this in Ephesians 1:18-23  " I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with he working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also the one to come.  And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all." 

Paul also wrote in I Corinthians 15:24-28  that at the end,  He will deliver " up the kingdom to God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. .. and when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all." 

All that David wrote in Psalm 110 was accomplished in Jesus Christ as He lived, died, and rose from the grave.  The Father has established the rule of His only begotten Son... " for a child will be born to us, a son will be given us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.  There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this." ( Isaiah 9:6-7)

Great are Your works, O Lord! How splendid and majestic is your work, Your gracious, compassionate, righteous work.. for You have "sent redemption to Your people"  You have made known Your power.  You have made known Your commandments and Your covenant.  You have given to us a great Savior, the Anointed One who is King, Priest, and Judge forever.  All praise to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. 

Psalm 110  is a Messianic psalm, all about Jesus.  It is easy to miss some of the meaning with the way we translate it from the Hebrew.  But it is so powerful when we take a closer look.

" The LORD ( Jehovah - the I AM- the self-existent One ) says to my Lord ( Adoni - master); 
Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet." 


The Father declared that His Son will be King.
The Father will stretch out the Son's scepter - will extend  His rule and His rod of authority.
The Son will have dominion over all His enemies.
His people will serve Him willingly in all holiness.

The Father has declared the Son to be the High Priest forever.
He is at the right hand of the Father. He has immediate access to the Most High God and He intercedes for us there.

The Father has declared that the Son is the Judge of all men. 
He will snuff out all other kings and rulers .
He will determine the verdict against every nation.
He will destroy the evil doers.
He will shatter those who are evil leaders.

The Son will be victorious in all He does. 
The Father will lift up the Son's head. He will be above all.

Our world is filled will those who are enemies to the King of kings.  We are horrified at their wickedness and terror.  We cannot comprehend the senseless killing, the needless violence, the intense hatred that fills so many hearts.  Bitterness, anger, and selfishness cause hearts to be hardened and filled with darkness.  Their only hope is Jesus, for He is King, High Priest, and Judge.
He is more powerful than any earthly ruler.
He is holier than any religious order.
He is more righteous than any judge or jury.

In Jesus we find the Law of Love, which supersedes any law that men can enact.
In Jesus we find the only True way to find God.
In Jesus we find complete justice and great mercy.
Jesus is appointed by the Father to be the epitome of Political rule, of Religious leadership, and of Judicial systems.
He is the greatest King, the greatest Priest, and the greatest Judge.

Praise the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Master, who calls us His friends, who brings us into His family, and who makes us His own.

Father in Heaven , how mighty You are and how wise!  You have made a perfect plan to redeem us and to bring us into Your Kingdom.  Thank You.  May Your Kingdom come, that we might see Jesus , high and lifted up, fulfilling all of Your Word, to the glory of Your Name.  amen.

Psalm 108  This is called a song of David.  " My heart is steadfast, O God."   My heart is fixed, prepared, established, ready... to sing praises to the Lord!  From the first hint of dawn, David lifts up praises to the Lord.  He praises the lovingkindness and truth that the Lord has shown to him.  He exalts the Lord's glory and majesty.  He remembers the Lord's work in all of Israel and he calls upon the Lord for help.

This is another good example of prayer.  Praise and thanksgiving from the heart that is fixed on God. Acknowledging the Lord's past work in our lives and looking for His continued help in the day ahead.
We declare His greatness and our neediness.
His provision and our dependence.
He is able to do all things and we are absolutely in need of His presence and strength for the day.. every day.

Psalm 109 takes a different approach altogether.  Here David calls upon the Lord to deal with the evil man.. the one who "did not remember to show lovingkindness but persecuted the afflicted and needy man." ( v16)   This person or persons:
Spoke evil and wicked things.
Lied.
Hated.
Fought.
Accused.
And cursed.

David's words are harsh and pointedly severe. He asks God to take vengeance on his behalf.
Give him ( the evil man)  a wicked leader.
Make his right hand man to turn against him.
Make the judge find him guilty.
Don't listen to his prayers for mercy.
Cut off his life.
Replace him.
Let his children be without a father and his wife without her husband.
Let the children become beggars.
Let the creditors take all his belongings.
Let strangers steal his land.
Don't let anyone show him mercy.
Don't let anyone show his children compassion.
Cut off any future generations.
Don't forget his sin, his father's sin, or his mother's sin.
Take the curses that he put on others and put it on him.

David spews out all this anger and then.... turns from it, letting it go.
"But Thou, O God, the Lord , deal kindly with me for Thy name's sake. " ( v21)
Help me.
Save me.
Bless me.
Be my deliverer and my Advocate.

When those who are evil do there best to harm us, we need to remember these things:
1. Vengeance belongs to the Lord. We must leave it in His hands.
2. He is on the side of those who recognize their own neediness and who call on Him.

Father in heaven,  we look to You for our every need.  For daily bread.  For forgiveness. For direction. For deliverance from the evil one.  May Your Name be hallowed and praised.  May Your Kingdom come.  May Your will be done.  Yours, O God, is the glory and power, forever and ever. Amen.

Psalm 107  A little over 3 years ago I wrote about this psalm (  see Sept. 23, 2013).   I noted that there are 4 groups of people:
v4-9  The wanderers
v10-15 The prisoners
v17-22 The foolish
v23-31 The stricken

Each group cries out to God and He rescues them.. because of His lovingkindness.

Verse 2 " Let the redeemed of the Lord say so..."   To say that the Lord is good and to give Him thanks.
We give Him thanks because:
He delivers us from distresses. ( v6,13,19,28)
He leads us by "straight ways" ( v7)
He satisfies our thirsty souls.(v9)
He fills us hungry souls with what is good. (v9)
He brings us out of darkness. (v14)
He breaks our bonds. (v14)
He shatters the prison gates. (v16)
He sends His word. (v20)
He heals us. (v20)
He delivers us. (v20)
He stills the storms.  (v29)
He quiets the waves. (v29)
He guides us home. (v30)

What a Mighty God we serve!
He is good!
Lord, You are our fortress and our deliverer, our help in Whom we can trust.
Bless us with fruitful lives in Your service.  Grant to us Your strength to serve You faithfully today and every day.  We give You our thanks and our praise, in the Name of our dear Savior, Jesus Christ,
Amen.

Psalm 106  Although this psalm starts out as many others, " Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good..."  it quickly turns into a history lesson.  A history lesson that reviews the many failures of the nation of Israel.  " We have sinned like our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly." The psalmist once again paints us a picture, this time one that is dark:

It starts out in Egypt.
They didn't understand God's "wonders".
They didn't remember His kindness to them.
They "rebelled at the Red Sea."
But, God saved them anyway, leading them through on dry ground and closing the waters over the enemies.

Then, they believed, but it did not last. In the wilderness they:
Forgot His works.
Didn't wait for His counsel.
" Craved intensely"  and "tempted God"
And God gave them what they wanted, however, He also sent a disease among them.

Next, they became envious of Moses and Aaron and rebelled against God's appointed leaders.
And, God opened the earth to consume the wicked.

They made a calf out of gold at Horeb.
They "exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God their Savior."
God wanted to destroy them, but Moses interceded.

Then they refused to enter Canaan.
" They did not believe in His word."
They grumbled.
They wouldn't listen to the voice of the Lord.
God judged them there in the wilderness, refusing them their chance to enter the promised land.

They started worshipping idols.
They ate "sacrifices offered to the dead."
They so provoked God that He sent a plague upon them.
But, Phinehas stood up and interceded and the plague stopped.

They provoked God at Maribah.
They rebelled again and made Moses so mad that he spoke rashly and lost his chance to enter the Land.

They didn't destroy the peoples in their new land when they finally entered.
But, instead mingled with them, learned their ways, and worshipped their idols.
They "even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons, and shed innocent blood...." 
They became unclean.
They " played the harlot". 
They kindled the Lord's anger.
He gave them to the nations.
They were oppressed.
They were subdued.
Every time He would deliver them they rebelled and "sank down in their iniquity."

"Nevertheless He looked upon their distress, when He heard their cry; and He remembered His covenant for their sake and relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness. "

"Save us , O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, to give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise. "

They didn't understand.
They didn't remember.
They didn't believe.
They wanted their stomachs filled.
They wanted their own power.
They wanted their own gods.
They wanted their own iniquities.
Over and over again these same sins are played out in every nation, ( so true of our nation today)...and in every individual.
Yet, over and over again, God hears our cry for help. remembers His promises, and saves us. 

O tidings of comfort and joy!
God rest you merry gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
was born on Christmas day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy,
comfort and joy, 
O tidings of comfort and joy!

Gracious and kind Father , thank You for being infinitely patient with us.  Thank You for sending Jesus to save us, even while we were yet sinners.. How good You are!  Keep our steps on Your path and our hearts in Your love today, I ask in the Name of the Wonderful Savior, Jesus, Amen.

Psalm 105  Part of this psalm is recorded in I Chronicles 16 as the ark was brought up into the tent that David had prepared for it.  Here we see the whole history of Israel recounted, a call of thanksgiving for all that the Lord had done to bring His nation into existence in the place that He had chosen for them.  The people were reminded to sing praises to the Lord and to "make known His deeds among the people."

Christmas time is a good time for us to stop and reflect on all the Lord has done for us in our own lives and to make known His deeds among our own people.

The Lord brought me to Himself as a child.  He placed me in a family where I was taken to church from the beginning of my life.  He gave me godly examples to follow.. my mom, my grandmother, and some of my siblings.

The Lord rescued me from darkness and gave me His light.
The Lord has worked good in my life, even from my failures.
The Lord has blessed me with much more than I could ever dream of.
The Lord has given me a hunger and thirst for more of Himself.

I have much to praise the Lord for everyday.  Yet I know I can never thank Him enough for His great love towards me.

 I am struck by verse 4 " Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face continually."    This is God's desire for us every day.  This Christmas,  I want to do just that.. seek Him, seek to see Him better, seek His strength for what ever lies ahead in the new year.

Father, thank You for loving me and saving me through Jesus Christ, the Lord.  Guide me in Your ways that I might live for Your glory, I ask in His name.  Amen.

Psalm 104  All the works of God.. all of creation testifies of His greatness.  This psalm gives praise to the "Lord my God"  who is indeed "very great." The psalmist draws us a picture with his words that will lead us to a fresh vision of God's intimate connection with His creation:

Picture Him, above the heavens,  wrapped in a cloak of brilliant light.  His covering is majestic and glorious.

He "stretches out heaven like a tent curtain..."  Every star and planet in its place.  Isaiah  writes, " Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power not one of them is missing." 

The Lord designed the heavens to cover the earth and made Himself a "chamber" above.  He is close by... the clouds are His to ride, the wind is His to walk upon,  the breezes are His to send messages and fire is His to minister to us.

The creation of the earth itself is firmly established so that it will not move.  He covered it with water and then moved the water to make mountains and valleys.  He has set boundaries for the waters  ( no matter what climate scientists want us to believe).  He provided streams and springs to bring drinking water to the wild animals.  He designed rain to come so that grass will grow.  He arranged plants that could be grown to provide food for mankind.
Trees.
Birds.
Animals.
Seasons.
Night and day.
 " O Lord, how many are Your works! In wisdom Thou hast made them all. The earth is full of Thy possessions." 

And we all wait.  For God to provide.  For God to satisfy us with good.
"Let the glory of the Lord endure forever; Let the Lord be glad in His works;" 

Father God,  Mighty One, wonderful Creator,  are You glad in Your works?  Are You glad that You made us?  Are You well pleased with us today?  We have such limited vision... we fail to see You in all of Your greatness and glory.  Open our eyes today.. especially this week as we celebrate the coming of Jesus... that we may see beyond the distractions of this world, to the One who  never becomes weary or tired, "the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth." We need to .. we must lift up our eyes to the Only True God and sing praises to You while we have life to do so. Great are You Lord and greatly to be praised!
Amen

Psalm 103

I am drawn back to Psalm 102:19-21 this morning, " For He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the Lord gazed upon the earth, to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to set free those who were doomed to death; that men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem." 

Isn't that exactly why we celebrate Jesus' birth?   I love the fact that He hears the individual groaning.. each of us trapped in our own prisons.. our self-made bars constructed from our rebellious hearts and darkened minds.  He sees us.. and came to set us free!  "Glory to God in the Highest and peace among men with whom He is pleased." the angels proclaimed.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy Name."  we reply.

The psalmist reminds us once again to remember... "forget none of His benefits;"  
He pardons our iniquities.
He heals our diseases.
He redeems us.. buys us from the pit... from hopeless, desperate, endless death.
He crowns us... CROWNS us.. with righteousness and compassion.
He satisfies us with "good things"
He does righteous deeds.
He makes fair judgements.
He makes His ways known.
"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness."  ( I love to read this in Exodus 34... for this is how God describes Himself!)
He does not stay angry with us.
He does not treat us "according to our sins" ( Thank You Lord!)
His lovingkindness is as high as the heavens!
He removes our sins "as far as the east is from the west".
He has compassion on us even as a father has compassion on his own children.
He knows our frailty.
He knows our mortality.
He loves us eternally!
He keeps His promises... to those who keep His covenant.

Glory to God who" has established His throne in the heavens."
Glory to God who rules over all in His sovereignty.
Glory to God, who sends out His mighty angels to perform His word.
Glory to God!

"Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will. Bless the Lord , all you works of His, in all places of His dominion; Bless the Lord, O my soul!"

Amen!

Psalms 98-102

" O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wonderful things.... "  These psalms go on to proclaim " O Lord, how many are Thy works! In wisdom Thou hast made them all; the earth is full of Thy possessions." ( 104:24)

Some of these " wonderful things" are:

He has " made known His salvation." ( 98:2)
He has "revealed His righteousness."
He has shown lovingkindness and faithfulness to His people. (v3)
He has revealed His salvation to all the earth.
He reigns over all the earth.( 99:1)
He loves justice. ( v4)
He answers prayer. (v6)
He forgives sin. (v8)
He made us. (100:3)
He is good. ( v5)
His love and faithfulness never ends and is for all generations. ( v5)


Psalm 101 is David's pledge to live for the Lord as best he can.  He promises to walk according to God's ways, to stay connected to those who are faithful to the Lord, and to cut off those who are not. Although we cannot earn righteousness through our own works, we need to give heed "to the blameless way" as David did. We need to commit our lives to walking in integrity, to staying away from the worthless things, and to refuse that which is evil.

Psalm 102 is a prayer for mercy from someone who is afflicted.  This statement touches my heart, " I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop."  
He feels forgotten by God and by others.
He feels consumed by the world.
He feels like his heart has withered.
He feels like life has seeped out.

But.... he looks back at the Lord and remembers those "wonderful" works and seeks God's face again:

You abide forever, Lord.
Your Name is for my generation too!
You will have compassion on Your people at the right time.
All the nations will fear You and bow before You.
You hear the prayers of the destitute.
You look down from Your throne on high and You gaze upon the earth...
You hear the "groaning of the prisoner" .
You set free those "who were doomed to death "

" The heavens are the works of Thy hand.  Even they will perish, but Thou dost endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing Thou wilt change them, and they will be changed.
But Thou art the same, and Thy years will not come to an end." 

Have you ever felt like a "lonely bird on a housetop" ?
Those who struggle with depression know that feeling well.  Holiday times, while many are celebrating and excitedly running here and there,  are times when some are hit hardest by sadness.
For whatever reason, or in whatever season, we may all have times like this.
Like the psalmist we need to be reminded of the truth of who our God is and what He has done.

Eternal God and Gracious Father,  we turn our eyes towards You to once again see the salvation that You have provided through Jesus Christ, Your Son.  It is in Jesus that Your righteousness is revealed. It is in Jesus that Your compassion is made known.  It is in Him that our sins are forgiven  and our transgressions are removed as far as the east is from the west.  Thank You. Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me.  Bless Your holy Name, Lord Most High.  Amen.

Psalm 97

Verse 11 strikes me... " Light is sown like seed for the righteous ..."
Because of this we are told to be "glad in the Lord... and give thanks to His holy name. " 

Light  is sown.  It is planted.  It germinates.  It grows.

 Psalm 112:4 says " Light arises in the darkness for the upright; He is gracious and compassionate and righteous." 
 Proverbs 4:18 says, " But the path of the righteous is like the dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day."   
The Bible Knowledge Commentary speaks of light as the "blessings of joy and spiritual prosperity" .  It refers back to Psalm 27: 1 " The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" and Psalm 36:9 " For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light we see light."  BKC says "Light signifies understanding, joy, and life and the stronghold signifies defense.  With these provisions from the Lord, whom shall a believer fear?"  It also says, " life and light come from God, their Source. So in contrast with the corruptions of the wicked, an obedient believer's life is characterized by security in the Lord, abundant provisions, life, and understanding in God's presence. "

Light - understanding, joy, life. A gift from God. The first gift given to the newly formed heavens and earth ( Gen. 1:3) . John 1:4-5 " In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it."  Jesus says, " .. I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." ( John 8:12)

Paul, in his testimony before Agrippa, says this about the Lord's call upon him," .. I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. " ( Acts 26: 18)

Jesus, the Light of the world...reigns.. and the earth rejoices.
Jesus, surrounded by clouds and darkness, breaks through with His righteousness and justice, a fire that burns all the darkness away.
" His lightnings lit up the world."  Stop and think about that!
His presence makes the earth tremble and the mountains melt.
"The heavens declare His righteousness  and all the peoples have seen His glory." 

To serve any other god is shameful, wicked, and useless.  For He is "exalted far above all gods." 
They are nothing.  He is everything. 
They are darkness.  He is Light. 
He is a Light that grows brighter and brighter, bringing us understanding and joy and life.
Be glad.
Be thankful.
Be in awe of Him.

Father in heaven, You are Light and in You there is no darkness at all!   You have given us Yourself in Your Son, Jesus Christ, the true Light of the world.  Let that light grow in us.  Increase our understanding.  Increase our joy.  Fill us with Your life, Your light growing brighter and brighter until that day when Christ returns . Let the truth of Your words stir our hearts and fill us with joy and gladness in Christ today. Amen.

Psalm 96  Again we are called to sing to the Lord.

What are we to sing? A new song!
Who is to sing?  All the earth.
How are we to sing? So that He is blessed!
Our songs are meant to proclaim "His salvation from day to day."  and to "Tell of His glory among the nations."

We are to sing of "His wonderful deeds." 
We are to sing of His greatness.
We are to sing of His worthiness.
We are to sing of His Sovereignty.
We are to sing of His Power in creation.
We are to sing of His splendor and majesty.

We make known His glory and strength.
We make known the "glory of His name." 
We make known to every nation that  " the Lord reigns." 
We make known the fact that He is coming and that He will judge the earth.
We make known the fact that His judgement will be according to His righteousness.
We make know the fact that He will show Himself faithful to His own people.

All the earth and all the heavens will be glad in that day. The seas, the fields, and the trees... all creation will rejoice at the coming of the Lord!

Father in heaven,  I look forward to that day when true joy will be expressed in the songs of all Your creation.  Every creature and every plant and every animal.. every star and every planet... will exult You.  O to see that day!  Until then, Lord keep my heart singing a new song, a song of Your great salvation every day. You are my God and I am Your child, Your servant, and I want to worship You with all my heart, soul, and being.  Fill me Holy Spirit, that I might be made complete as only You can do, in the name of Jesus, my Lord. Amen.

Psalm 95  The next 5 psalms are songs of worship and praise to the Lord.  They are songs we can make our own, as many have been used in choruses and hymns throughout the history of the church.

I don't know about you, but sometimes the more familiar the words are, the less meaningful they can become.  They become rote.. not felt.  For example.. " O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation."  Sing and shouting for joy... with joy... to the Lord.. is not something that happens much anymore.  We sing.  We might even sing with enthusiasm or enjoyment.  But, how many people feel joyful... how many are aiming their song towards the Lord?

We are to come before His presence with thanksgiving. 
We are to shout to Him with joy. 
We are to bow down and worship Him.

We are allowed, encouraged, and maybe even commanded to.... be emotional!

Our Lord is a great God!
Our Lord is a great King!
Our Lord is the Creator of everything!
Our Lord holds the seas and the mountains in His Hands!
Our Lord has chosen us to be His people!
Our Lord has spoken to us.. speaks to us.. today!

Don't harden your heart, the psalmist warns us.  Don't err in your heart, don't ignore His ways.
Instead, kneel before Him. 
Bring Him a song of joy. 
Let yourself feel... joy, thankfulness, reverence, and awe for the Lord Most High who loves us and offers us His rest.. a home of peace and comfort and consolation. 

Holy Father, Maker of heaven and of earth, Mighty God and King,  I hallow Your Name.  Your Name is above all names.  You are above all things, the owner of all things, the maker of all things.  There is nothing that exists that You have not brought into being.  You have called me to know Your Name and to sing to You, Lord.  To sing with joy and thanksgiving.  May I be faithful to hear Your voice and never harden my heart. Help me, Lord Jesus, to become like You, always glorifying the Father. Make my heart free to feel and to express the joy of Your salvation. Open my eyes to see You more clearly today, open my ears to hear Your voice.. today.  Amen.

Psalm 94  " O Lord, God of vengeance ; "   This character trait belongs strictly to the Lord.  Deuteronomy 32:35-36  " Vengeance is Mine, and retribution... For the Lord will vindicate His people.. " makes this clear.  Romans 12:19 says " Never take you own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord." 

To take revenge carries the meaning of repayment for wrongs or injuries by punishing the evil doer.
It also speaks of vindication, or defense of the one wronged.  God Himself claims the right and responsibility for all vengeance.  

The psalmist calls upon the Lord to proceed with His work of vengeance in his immediate circumstances.

The wicked are proud and arrogant.
They are crushing people.
They are murdering the helpless... the widows and orphans.
They have denied God's ability to see them or care about their actions.

We wonder about this sometimes too.  Our country has experienced too much trouble and turmoil caused by these same kinds of wicked people.  We wonder how long it will be, how bad it will get before the Lord moves to punish and stop those who are evil.

But the psalmist doesn't dwell there.. he instead gives a warning, " Pay heed you senseless among the people; and when will you understand, stupid ones?" ( v8)

God made the ear,  "does He not hear?"
God formed the eye, " does He not see?"
God judges nations.
God is the teacher of all knowledge.
God knows the thoughts of every individual.
Pay attention.. for vindication, vengeance is in His Hands. Repent while you can.

The Lord will help those who call upon Him.
He will hold us up and He will console us.
He will be our stronghold, our refuge, and our defender.

And He will destroy those who continue in their wickedness and refuse to repent.

The last few psalms have focused on qualities of God that we need to meditate on and praise Him for - His lovingkindness, His faithfulness, His goodness, His Majesty, His strength, His Might, and His holiness .  And now we add to this, His vengeance....  I for one am thankful that this is His responsibility and I praise Him that He will do it perfectly for He is excellent is all His ways.

Father in Heaven,  hallowed be Your Name.  May we honor this title, " God of vengeance "  as we honor every Name that You have revealed to us, that we might know You better.  When we face those who do wickedness, help us to remember that You have already declared that You will bring vengeance.  May we warn them and lead them to You... or leave them in Your hands. Be our Rock and Consolation, O Lord.  We are confident in this truth, You will not abandon Your people and You will punish those who refuse to heed Your Word.  We cast our cares on You and cling to You, the God who reigns in majesty and splendor.  Praise to our Mighty God and to our Lord Jesus Christ in whose name we pray. Amen.

Psalm 93  " The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord has clothed and girded Himself with strength." 

"clothed" - to wrap around or put on - God puts on "majesty" - Majesty is an ornament of excellence, glory, magnificence, triumph, highness.   Psalm 104:1b-2 says, " O Lord my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with spender and majesty; Covering Thyself with light as with a cloak..." 

His belt is "strength".- power, security, might, force.. He prevails!
God has established His throne "from of old; Thou art from everlasting".  v2
"The Lord on high is mighty." v4b
"Thy testimonies are fully confirmed." v5a  - all that He says is found true and certain.
" Holiness befits Thy house, O Lord forevermore." (v5b)

The majesty, the excellence of our God, is His covering of Light.  He is eternally glorious in His strength, His might, His Truth, and His holiness.  When we acknowledge and meditate on this.. our hearts are filled with awe and wonder. Here is where we come to worship and bow down, falling before His throne.  We sing praises to Him, the Most High.  We declare His lovingkindness and His faithfulness. We remember His works and rejoice with thanksgiving for what He has done for us.

Father, open our eyes to see Your majesty and splendor.  Someday we will experience this is a way we can't begin to imagine, but until then, help us to know You as the psalmist did. You are great and mighty, kind and faithful!  We give praise and thanks to You.  Reign forevermore, O Lord!  Let Your kingdom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. amen.

Psalm 92  This is as song for the Sabbath day, the title tells us.  It is a song of praise to the Lord.  It is one thing to say " Praise the Lord"... it is another to really mean it.  Sometimes I feel.. conflicted... unsettled about this... am I just saying words?   Do I really mean what I say?  Am I being sincere in my praise? I know that I want to be.  This psalm helps...

" It is good to give thanks to the Lord,"  the psalmist writes.  It is easy to be thankful.  God has given us so much!  We are thankful for His salvation through Jesus.  We are thankful for our families and for our blessings.  We are thankful for daily bread and for answers to prayer.  But, there is more to it.
The Hebrew word used here for "give thanks" is yadah.  It means to hold out or use your hands; to revere or worship with extended hands.. to make a confession, to praise.  It is a physical action involving an open hand.  We extend our open hand.. to give... or to demonstrate our thankfulness.

" And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;"  the writer continues.  "Sing praises"-  to make music.. to touch the strings or strike the instrument... to celebrate in song.  A musical celebration of the Most High, that declares His lovingkindness and His faithfulness.
To "declare" -  to boldly stand, to manifest, announce, expose, predict, explain, praise...  His qualities day and night. Our God is full of lovingkindness - He is kind and shows us favor, good, mercy, pity and beauty.  Our God is also full of faithfulness - established, trustworthy, firm, secure, steady, true. 

It is good for us to celebrate our God.  To boldly proclaim His greatness.  He is faithful.  He is love.  He wants us to know these truths about who He is and to remember them by singing about them morning and evening.. lest we forget.

The psalm goes on ... " For Thou, O Lord, hast made me glad by what Thou hast done, I will sing for joy at the works of Thy hands.  How great are Your works, O Lord! Thy thoughts are very deep. " 
This points to a personal response towards God's loving actions towards us individually.
The wicked, the senseless, and the stupid... don't understand this.  They will perish.
But, the "righteous " who "declare that the Lord is upright", who build their lives on Him, who praise and worship Him ... they will "flourish".  They will be fruitful.. even in "old age".  They will overcome their foes.. because the Lord is " on high forever". 

Our pastor has explained that thanksgiving is given for what God had done.  Praise is given for who God is.   We are to give both... in celebration of Who God is and what He has done for us.  These gifts - praise and thanks - are offerings- held out by our own hands to the Most High Who is our rock.  It is a gift from our hearts to Him that reveals that we are His. If we fail to make this offering we are like the wicked, senseless, stupid man who will be scattered.  

Father in heaven, forgive us for neglecting to give to You the honor and thanks that You deserve.  We get so focused on praying about ourselves, our families, our needs... that we miss out on the most important part of praying... giving You praise for Who You are and thanking You for what You have done for each of us personally.   Great is Your lovingkindness to us O Lord! You are good.  You are merciful, and You are beautiful.  Great is Your faithfulness!  You never change and You are always trustworthy.  Thank You for the gifts that You have given to us this morning.. for life, for love, and for wonder and truth and security.   Let our hearts sing of Your greatness morning and evening forever more. Amen.

II Peter 3

In 1:12  Peter says he wants to remind us of the truth of our calling by Christ.
In 1:13 he speaks of stirring us up with his reminders.
And again here, in 3:1, he speaks again to stir up our minds to remember the Word, that of the prophets and that of our Lord.

Remember, he tells us, that even though mockers say that Christ isn't coming, He surely is.
Remember, that God established the heavens and earth, and as long as they are still standing You have proof that the Word of God still stands.
Remember that there is a day coming when all the universe as we know it will be destroyed.
Remember that the Lord is waiting patiently because of His great love for us, because we wants all of us to come to repentance.
Remember that He is coming and we need to be living in holiness and godliness until that day.
Remember that He will establish a new heaven and a new earth.
Remember to be on guard so that we won't follow the false teachers but stay steadfast in His Truth.

Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, Peter exhorts us, for that day is coming.

Father in heaven,  be Lord of our hearts and lives, that we may be steadfast in Your Truth, growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus.  We ask this in His holy Name, amen.

II Peter 2 After Peter's exhortation to us to be diligent in our faith and to strive to increase in those qualities that our Lord shares with us from His own divine nature,  he gives a stark warning about those who would lead us away.

A false teacher can be known by these qualities:

He is secretive.
He "introduces destructive heresies".
He maligns the truth.
He is greedy.
He exploits others.
He indulges the flesh.
He despises authority.
He is daring and self-willed.
He is adulterous..
He loves money more than righteousness.
He is arrogant.
He is sensual.
And he wants to make us all like himself...

Unfortunately, they may have once been believers, but have turned their backs on the Lord.
Their destruction is coming, Peter tells us, for God is the Judge.
He judged the rebellious angels, not sparing them, but casting them into hell. ( v4)
He judged the "ancient world", sparing only Noah and his family. (v5)
He judged Sodom and Gomorrah, rescuing only Lot.(v7-8)
By these examples we can know that judgement of the wicked and rebellious, the false teachers and those who have left the Shepherd's fold - will face certain judgement.

In light of this, how much more vital is it that we are diligent in our faith.. that we abide in Him and partake of His divine nature?  We must strive to keep growing in virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and love! To stay on the narrow way, the way of Truth, the way of the cross.. the way of Jesus.  How thankful we can be for verse 9... " ... the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation..." 

Father in Heaven,  we praise Your Name,  Holy One of Israel, Redeemer, Savior, Mighty God!  Keep us in Your will and in Your Kingdom forever.  Open our eyes to see You more clearly and to discern fully those who desire to lead us astray.  Keep us strong in Your strength that we may stand firm and resist evil.  Thank You for the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.  Thank You for Your grace towards us through Jesus Christ our Master. In His Name we pray. amen.

2 Peter 1

This letter is addressed to those who have "a faith of the same kind as ours"... a faith that comes by "the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

3 times Peter uses the word "knowledge" ( epignosis)  here:
v2 "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."
v3 ".. through the true knowledge of Him who called us... "
v8 "... in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"

It is in the context or "true knowledge",  of full acknowledgement and recognition of the supremacy of Jesus Christ as Lord and Master as testified by God Himself when He said " This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased"..  as reported by the eyewitness.. Peter, himself, that we believe and live.

Peter urges us to be "diligent" - to personally give much attention and care - to His calling and choosing of us to this life of faith.  Jesus has given us all we need to live this life:
It comes by His "divine power", not by our own strength or determination .
It is "everything" we need for "life and godliness".
It leads us to partake - to share, fellowship, partner - in "the divine nature". 

All of theses things are secured by His promises.. "His precious and magnificent promises", but we have to be diligent... we need to pay attention to how we live.
We need to keep walking in faith.  It is not a one time commitment, but a daily focus.  Am I exercising faith in Jesus right this moment?  Am I trusting Him for salvation, for life, and for everything I need to live according to His will? Do I trust His promises for myself, for my family... right now, this very moment?
We need to "supply moral excellence".  Am I diligent to be virtuous and honorable? To partner in the divine nature I must not bring any impure thoughts or words or actions. Have I repented of all uncleanness and impurity in my life?  I must be diligent to keep my heart free from evil. The Greek word here also has the idea of valor and excellence. We depend on Christ's divine power to renovate our character to be like His own.
We need to add knowledge.  This is the greek word "gnosis", the act of knowing. Understanding and being aware of truth.  We need to think clearly and to live according to truth as opposed to ignorance or deception or worldly philosophies.  Am I diligent to know God's Word so well that I can recognize a phony teaching?  It is important the I do this!  For my own sake and for the sake of those I love.
We need to add self-control.   Am I diligent to exercise self-restraint?  Do I allow my appetite.. physically, emotionally, or spiritually.. to get out of hand?  Jesus has given us this gift of self-control and I need to practice it daily.
We need to add perseverance.  The greek word is hupomone - cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy.. patient continuance.  Am I persevering?  Do I give up to easily?  Am I hopeful and cheerful in my waiting for His promises to be fulfilled?
We need to add godliness.  He has called us to be holy as He is holy.  Set apart. God focused.  Him first.. His will, His way, and His Righteousness.  Is my life about Him, or about me and mine?  Oh, Lord help me to seek You first and Your kingdom and Your righteousness!
We need to add brotherly kindness. By His divine power at work in me, I am able to show this brotherly love and affection to others... but it is an area that I need to be diligent in.  I have a tendency to be more introverted and a bit distant sometimes.  Lord, I need Your divine power to grow in this area too.
And finally, we need to add love.  Agape love.  Benevolent, giving, generous, grace-filled love. The kind of love we must first receive from our Heavenly Father.  Lord, add more love to my character.

Peter tells us that when we are diligent to add theses traits to our lives in faith.. we will not be "unfruitful" or "useless".  But if we don't work on these, we are "blind or short-sighted", and we may have even forgotten that Jesus saved us from our sins.

Father, we come in the name of Jesus, our Master, seeking Your divine Presence once again.  Lead us in Your ways, that we may abide in You, partake of Your nature, and be good and faithful servants.  Increase these qualities in our lives Lord.  Work on our faith, our virtue, our knowledge of the Truth, our self-control, our perseverance, our godliness, our kindness, and our love.. helping us to grow in the likeness of Jesus our Lord.  Thank You for the reminder from Your Word, that You have given us everything we need, in Jesus, to be all that You want us to be.  May Your will be done to Your glory and honor. Amen.

Psalm 91 This psalm is recited by many people as they go through difficult times.  It reminds us of the greatness of our God and the security we have in Him.

If we "dwell" in His shelter.. if we live in the security of His Presence, we  "will abide in the shadow of the Almighty".   We choose to live either acknowledging God as the Most High.. the One Who is Present everywhere and always.. and find comfort in His nearness, or we don't. We must make that choice.

Lord, Almighty God, You are my refuge, my fortress, "My God, in whom I trust".   This is a statement of faith.  When we make this our foundation and stand firm we will know that:

He delivers us from snares and pestilence( v3)
He covers us with Himself.. ( v4)
He faithfully shields us from the enemy (v4)
He takes away all fear (v5 -6)
He will punish the wicked all around us , protecting us all the while. ( v7-8)
He sends His angels to guard us and help us ( 10-12)

God commits Himself to helping those who love Him.
He promises to deliver us.
He promises to answer us when we call upon Him.
He promises to be with us in the troubles.
He promises to rescue us and to honor us.
He promises life and satisfaction.
He promises that we will see His salvation. ( v14-16)

Father, great is Your faithfulness to us who choose to love You and to dwell in Your Presence.  You are my God and I will trust You.  Lord, I come before You as one who has set apart Christ as Lord in my heart.  He is my Master and I am His servant.  What will You have me to do today, Lord?  I hear the Shepherd's voice in this Word today... trust in Me, find refuge in Me, stay in My shadow.  Help me to do this mindfully, diligently, and completely today.  For I pray this in the Name of Christ the Lord, amen.

Psalm 90  This extraordinary prayer is credited to Moses, a man who was as close to God as humanly possible.  His prayer gives us insight into his understanding and knowledge of God and into the life of men.

v 1 -2- The Lord is "the dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born, or Thou didst give birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. "

God, the Creator, who "birthed" the mountains and the earth itself,  is our home.  He is the eternal God.  He has always been and will always be the Almighty Lord.  We only have life because He gives it.  We only have the universe because He made it. There is nowhere where He is not .. because all of His creation is in Him.  It ... the world, the earth, the universe is not our habitation.. He is.

This is a profound thought in light of our culture's current philosophies.  It is a truth that hits me anew right now. How often do we think of God as being out there somewhere, looking down at our world? But, Moses understood and we need to understand more clearly the Presence of God.  We want His manifest Presence and pray for open eyes... and we need to.. but, all along He has been and always will be our home.  I need to meditate on this some more.  Lord, give me understanding, please.

v3-12  Moses talks about the life of men.
We are dust... and we go back to dust.
Our births and our deaths are ordered by God's word.
Time is not a concern of God's for it has meaning only for man.
Generations come and go in His sight .. like morning when the grass sprouts and evening when it fades away.
God's focus is not on the length of our lives, but on the quality of it - do we finish our years in unconfessed sin and unrepentant hearts... and be consumed by His anger?  Or do we realize that this life is limited and with a heart of wisdom, fear His wrath and repent?

v13-17 We seek the Lord and He will let us find Him .  He is the One Who shows compassion on us with His great mercy.  He is the One who gives us joy and satisfies our souls.  He is the One who shows favor to us and gives us purpose by confirming the "work of our hands".
We need to see His works and His majesty.
We need to understand Him more, to know Him more, like Moses did.

Father in heaven, Great and Mighty are You!  Lord, our God, we live in You.  You are our HOME.  Father, it is in awe of You that we come and worship.. that we bow before You and praise You.  Your perfect plan for the whole universe is in Your everlasting arms.  We do not need to fear the events or actions of this sin sick world.  But, in holy fear of the One who sweeps away evil in Your wrath, we come to You in repentance and find forgiveness through Jesus, the Lamb of God.  Thank You for the works of Your Hands and the glory of Your grace. Amen!

Psalm 89  The first part of this psalm is full of praise and exaltation:
" I will sing of the lovingkindness of the Lord forever !'
God is faithful.
God is kind.
God is awesome.
God is mighty.
God is righteous.

The psalmist recalls the Lord's covenant with David.  He praises the works of His hand.  He proclaims the excellencies of the Lord.  He remembers God's promise to David, a throne established forever.

But, starting at verse 38, the psalmist gives a glimpse of his struggle...  he is holding on to his faith, but he isn't seeing the Lord at work in his day.
He feels cast off and rejected.
He feels that God has broken the covenant.
Israel has become a reproach.
The splendor of David's kingdom is gone.
Where has the Lord gone?

There was no way that Ethan, the psalmist, could see the bigger picture that we have the privilege of seeing.. that the throne of David would be forever the throne of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son.
It is His horn that is exalted.
It is Jesus who cries out to the Father.
It is Jesus who is the highest King.
It is Jesus who was rejected.
It is Jesus who bore all our reproach.
It is Jesus who will fulfill every promise.


The psalmist was diligent to keep on looking to the Lord, even when he felt such despondency.
"Blessed be the Lord forever!" 

May we do the same!

Father, You are mighty and You are faithful.  We do not see the big picture like You do.  We do not know what the future holds for ourselves, our families, or our country.  But, we do know that You have it all in Your hands.  We are so thankful for the living hope we have in Christ Jesus!  He is our eternal King and all of Your promises will be fulfilled in Him  by Your faithfulness.  You are righteous and we put our trust in You alone.  Blessed are You forever and ever. Amen.

I Peter 5  Peter has given us some specific instructions on how we are to live according to God's purposes as we set apart Christ as Master in our hearts:
Be holy
Proclaim God's excellencies
Do what is right
Patiently endure suffering
Bring harmony
Be sympathetic
Be brotherly ( or sisterly)
Be kindhearted
Be humble
Bless and don't curse
Defend our hope with gentleness and respect
Keep our consciences clear
Use sound judgement
Be spiritually sober
Live in the spirit according to God's will
Pray

In this final chapter he addresses those in leadership, the shepherds, to be the example for the flock. Willingly and eagerly living according to God's will.

Then, Peter addresses everyone to "clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. " 
"Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, for He cares for you. " ( 5:6-7)

Peter also warns us once again to resist satan, "firm in your faith".  For, "after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. " (v10)

Father in heaven, You are the God of all grace, and we praise You.  Thank You for calling us, for choosing us, and for the living hope that You have given to us.  Eternal glory... our inheritance in Christ Jesus... lays before us.  You have redeemed us, forgiven us, brought us into the covenant of grace through the blood of Jesus who is our Lord and Master. Perfect us in holiness, Lord, as we submit to Your will and purposes for each of us. Thank You for this Word, this true grace of God. Be glorified Lord Jesus, as we Your servants live in obedience and humility before You. We pray for Your will to be done in us as You have spoken.  amen.

I Peter 4  Peter continues to charge his listeners to follow the example of our Savior and to know His purpose.. and thus our own, the reason we have been chosen..
 Already in this letter he has told us that:

We are chosen "that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood" ( 1:2)
His great mercy " caused us to be born again to a living hope.. " (1:3)
As obedient children... we are called to be like the Holy One " who called you" - to be holy in "all your behavior". (1:15)
We are a "chosen race, a royal priesthood... that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (2:9)
"... such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men." (2:15)
"For, you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps." (2:21)
".... that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;" (2:24)
".. for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing." (3:9)

And he has given us the key to finding these purposes for ourselves, " but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts..." ( 3:15a) 

Now Peter continues to instruct us how to live according to Christ's purposes.  And the next one is a doozy... " Therefore since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased to sin.... so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh... for the will of God." ( 4:1-2)

To surrender our flesh... to die to self and to selfish desires is paramount to this calling that we have through Christ as we set Him apart as Master of our hearts.

It is why the gospel has been preached... "even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God." ( 4:6)

And one more purpose , "the purpose of prayer" ( 4:7) - Because the end of this life is near, we are called to be of "sound judgement and sober spirit" and to pray.
We pray :
For fervent love for each other.
For a heart of hospitality towards those in need.
That we will be good stewards of God's grace
That we are serving God with "the strength He supplies"
That we  will glorify God in all things.

These are the fruit of a life fully surrendered to God's purposes for us. We share in Christ's sufferings, we keep rejoicing in trials, and we await the day when we will exalt in the "revelation of His glory "

Thank You Father  for Your grace towards us.  So thankful that You are patient with us and tenderhearted towards us.  May Your will be done in us. Let Your word fill our thinking and move our bodies in Your footsteps Jesus!  You are Lord, my Master.. and I am Your slave.  Amen.

Psalm 88  Here is a desperate prayer from a man who is at death's door.  He is as low as one can go..
troubled
without strength
cut off
in the lowest pit
in dark places
alone
loathed
wasting away
about to die
terrified

But, he keeps praying.  He keeps crying out to God. He keeps looking for the only One who can help.

Father, You are good.  You are kind. But, sometimes we feel alone and forgotten.  Help us in those times to remember who You are and to keep on trusting You.  Keep us in the shadow of Your wings.
Forgive our lack of trust in You and make our thoughts turn back to the truth of Your Word.  The psalmist here dreads death, but we remember that You have conquered death, Jesus!  Our hope is in You, no matter what we face in this life.  Thanks be to our God and King! Amen.

Psalm 87  Zion - the city of God.   This title is used to speak of Jerusalem, specifically the temple mount.  It is also used to speak of the Heavenly City, the place of God's throne.
Either way, this psalm gives us some facts about this place:

It is the "foundation" of God.  v1
Its gates are loved by the Lord. v2
It is loved more than any other place.
It is highly praised. v3
It is the birthplace of nations. v4
It is established by God Himself. v5
There is significance in  being born there. v6
It is a place of music and joy. v7

This psalm brings to mind the old hymn, "We're Marching to Zion", which is specifically speaking of the heavenly home.  The chorus goes, " We're marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion; We're marching upward to Zion, the beautiful city of God."   Zion is a place of joy, for there we will know the sweetest songs, the greatest joys, and the fairest worlds, according to this hymn.

It also reminds me of a song that Wayne Watson sang a few years back, "Born in Zion".   In it he talks about how the ones born in Zion are those who will never die; those who belong to the Father.

I may never walk in the streets of the earthly city of Jerusalem, but I know that one day I will go home to the city of God, the beautiful city called Zion.  One day, those who have been born in Zion will see it and rejoice forever.   Randy Alcorn writes " If we can fix our eyes on Jesus, to see through the fog and picture our eternal home in our mind's eye, it will comfort and energize us, giving us a clear look at the finish line." We need a "clear view of Heaven", he tells us. This psalm helps us to see it a little more clearly....

Father in Heaven, we rejoice in the wonderful truth of Your Word, that someday we will see You and be with You forever.  We will see Jesus in the glory You gave to Him before the foundations of the world.  We will breathe the air of Heaven, which is love.  How we praise You once again for Your grace towards us.  Thank You.
Amen

Psalm 86  This is a personal prayer that David wrote.  It is another great prayer that we can make our own.

O Lord, incline Your ear to my prayer .
I am afflicted and in need of You.
Will You preserve my soul and save me, for I put my trust in You.
Be gracious to me Lord God.
I lift my prayers to You all the day long.
Make my heart glad and my soul rejoice, O Lord.

You are good.
You are ready to forgive. 
You are abundant in lovingkindness. 
I praise You Lord!

Lord, I bring my pleas to You, please hear me.
When I run into trouble, I will call upon You.

For there is no god like You. 
There are none who can do what You do. 
Every nation needs You Lord and one day they will all call upon You and glorify Your Name. 
You are great and wonderful. You alone are God!

Teach me Your ways, Lord.
I want to walk in the Truth.
I give my heart to You, that I might live in awe and fear of Your greatness .
I give thanks to You Lord, with all my heart.
I will glorify Your Name forever and ever.

Your lovingkindness to me... to me personally, is great!
You are my deliverer. 
You are gracious and merciful. 
You are slow to anger and abundant in love, kindness, and truth. 

Be gracious continually to us Lord.
Grant us strength to serve You.
Show us Your goodness and make the enemy be ashamed because of their hatred.
You are my help and comfort. 

Father in heaven, You are worthy of our praise.  Like David we want to exalt You and lift up Your Name. Thank You for this psalm, for the words that help us to praise You.
You are good.
You forgive us our sins!
You show us compassion.
You alone are God and there is none like You.
No one can do what You do.
You are great.
You do wonderful works.
You deliver us when we call on You.
You give to us what we do not deserve.
You help us.
You comfort us.
You are all we need.
We love You Lord.
Keep us in Your paths and help us to do what pleases You , all the day long.
In Jesus' Name we pray.
Amen.

I Peter 2  On this morning, one of historic significance,  I find this passage to be so appropriate... especially verse 17 " Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."   Respect for each other, especially for fellow christians and for those in positions of leadership , is commanded by the God we fear.  We are called to do what is right, even if we suffer for it.  We are called to follow Jesus and His example in dealing with the world.

Several times in chapters 2 and 3 Peter informs us of our purpose in this world;

2:9  We are His chosen people.. "that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

2:15  We are to submit ourselves to the authority of every "human institution".. "for such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men."

2:16-20 We are called to  - not use our freedom to do evil (v16);
to honor all men, loving fellow christians, fearing God, and honoring the king (v17);
to be respectful and submissive to masters, even those who are unjust (v18);
to bear up even when suffering(v19);
to patiently endure when mistreated for doing what is right (v20)

2:21 "For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.."   Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross,  so "that we might  die to sin and live to righteousness;"  (v24)

3:9  "... for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.."  He calls us to live righteously - for example:

3:1  Wives  are to be in proper relationship to their husbands... and yes that means being submissive.
3:2  We are to be chaste and respectful.
3:3-4  We are to value our inward qualities more than our outside ones... gentleness and quietness of heart "which is precious in the sight of God"
3:7 Husbands are to be understanding of their wives and to honor them "as a fellow heir of the grace of life". 
3:8 "To sum it up"... we are to live in harmony, sympathy, brotherly love, kindheartedness, and humility.
3:9  We are to not return evil for evil or insult for insult.
3:10  We must control our tongues.
3:11 We must turn away from evil, do good,  and seek peace.
3:16 We must keep a good conscience.

Most of all we are to "sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts." (3:15)  This is our greatest purpose.
With gentleness and reverence we give account of this hope that He gives us.

Father, may Your will be done in our lives and in our country this day.  I pray for our new president elect, that he may seek Your face and honor Your name.  I pray for Your people, those You have chosen to be "living stones" and "a holy priesthood".  May we do as You are calling us to do in Your Word... to proclaim Your excellence , to die to sin and live to righteousness, and to sanctify Christ as Lord  in our hearts.  May we inherit the blessings You have graciously given to us.  We praise You O God, for You are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.  Amen and amen.

I Peter 1

Like James, Peter writes about the value of true faith, proven faith. This kind of faith is worth more than gold, Peter tells us. Gold is perishable, but faith is not.  We know the value of gold is subjective. Its worth is based on what it can be traded for - food, clothing, shelter.. etc. Its value is temporal.  In eternity we are told, gold is what we will walk on...
But the value of tested and proven faith is - salvation . The result of faith is praise and glory and honor when Jesus comes. Its worth is eternal.

verses 10-12  Peter writes that "this salvation" that we receive as a the outcome of our faith was prophesied by the prophets and longed for by the angels before it was revealed by the Holy Spirit.

"Therefore"... Because of the greatness of God, His mercy towards us, the living hope He gives us, the inheritance that awaits us and the salvation offered to us .. through faith.... we need to :

"gird up" our minds for action..... get our thinking belted in.. under control;
be "sober in spirit" ... clear headed and focused'
"fix our hope completely on .. grace" of Jesus;
 be "obedient children";
forsake the things that we once lusted after when we were unaware of the truth;
"be holy.. in all (our)  behavior";
"conduct" ourselves in righteous fear of the One we call Father ;
and "fervently love one another from the heart".

We have been bought, redeemed "with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ". 
We have obeyed the truth, purified our souls, and believed in God.
We are born again of imperishable seed... the living and abiding word of God.

Father in heaven, thank You for the mercy You have given to us, redeeming us and making us Your own.  Father, fill us with Your Spirit so that we are sanctified through and through.  May we be holy in our thinking, in our actions, and in our reactions.  Fill us with Your love that we might love one another fervently.  We fix our hope on You alone, as we pray in the Name of our Gracious Lord, Jesus.
amen.

I Peter 1

Peter wrote to the refugees that had fled to the north of Israel.  This area is now Turkey, Iraq, Syria, and perhaps some of Iran.  He is writing to the believers who were facing persecution for being christians.

Verses 1-2
To the "chosen" :
 You were foreknown by God the Father.    He has known you since you were in your mother's womb.. and even from eternity, He has known you.
You have been sanctified by the work of the Spirit.  You are purified, restored to the state of purity.
You have been chosen so that you will obey Jesus and be sprinkled with His blood. You have been given ears to hear His Words and to heed them.  Obedience is attentive listening accompanied by compliance and submission. The act of sprinkling in the old testament law was a sign of cleansing and a symbol of a covenant made. So, we are cleansed and brought into a relationship with our Master, Jesus.

As the chosen... as a "christian" we are fully known by the Father and purified by the Spirit, for a covenant relationship with the Son.

Verse 3-5 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ...." 
Peter offers up praise to God for:
 His great mercy that "caused us to be born again"
 A living hope that is "through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
 An inheritance "which is imperishable and undefiled... reserved in heaven for you." 
 Protection by His power.
"A salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."

This is cause for us to "greatly rejoice" Peter writes,  "with joy inexpressible and full of glory." 
For even the trials and distresses of life are producing  "praise and glory and honor.".. when faith is proved and love endures. For the outcome is "the salvation of your souls." ( v9)

Father, You know our every thought and every intent of our hearts.  You know us better than we know ourselves. You have chosen to show us mercy, even when we do not deserve anything at all.  You have cleansed us from all our sin and made us brand new, "born again", purified by Your Spirit and sprinkled by the blood of Your Precious Son, our Lord Jesus.  It is in the covenant sealed by His sacrifice that we have a living hope. Our hope is found in Him.  The hope of an inheritance, the hope of protection, and the hope of eternal salvation.  In these promises we rejoice. O Lord God, help us, help me to grasp the greatness of Your promises and truly rejoice with inexpressible joy and glory!
May praise and glory and honor be to You, Blessed Father.
Amen.

Psalm 86  David's prayers are so personal and give us such an intimate look into his heart.  Over and over again, he shows us what it means to be a man who is after the heart of God... with every problem, every affliction, every terrible situation.. David's first thought is to pray and every prayer ended up in praise to the Lord.  

In our Wednesday night prayer meeting we were discussing Psalm 61 and how David had made a vow, a promise to the Lord that he would "pay his vow" every day... the vow to praise God.  David's many psalms prove that he kept that vow quite literally.  I reflected on a message that I had heard that day on the radio, where the speaker was preaching on the book of Numbers.  The preacher talked about how the people of Israel reacted to their problems and afflictions - they grumbled, complained, and rebelled.  This contrast made quite an impression on me..

David's reactions to his struggles was always to pray and to praise the Lord, remembering what God had done for him and therefore trusting Him once more. 

Israel's was to grumble, complain, and rebel,  forgetting what God had done for them and refusing to trust Him at all. 

Perhaps we need to examine our  own reactions to trials and troubles that come our way... do we pray or do we grumble?

This psalm (86) once again gives us this wonderful example of what a heart for God does:

"Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy." 
David makes his requests known: ( what do we need to ask today?)
Preserve me.
Save me.
Be gracious to me.
Bring gladness to my soul.
Hear me.
Help me.
Teach me Your ways.
Give me strength.
Show me Your goodness.

Interspersed with his requests, David, pours our praise and thanksgiving.. this is the heart of his prayer:
" For Thou , Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon Thee." (v5)
"There is no one like Thee among the gods, O Lord; nor are there any works like Thine." ( v8)
"For Thou are great and doest wondrous deeds; Thou alone art God." (v10)
"But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth." (v15)
David says, " I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever." ( v12)
"For Thy lovingkindness  toward me is great..." (v 13);
because God had delivered him before and would do so again;
because David knew that God heard his prayers and he trusted that God would answer again.
The Word tells us that God dwells in the praises of His people... when we genuinely praise the Lord like David.. we are in the presence of God! ( Psalm 22:3)

Heavenly Father,  You are good and Your Word is precious as it shows us Your heart and the kind of heart that You desire for us to have... a heart that always seeks You and knows You more and more. Thank You for helping us to remember.. by giving us these psalms of David as guideposts.. as footprints for us to follow in Your ways.  There is no god like You, O Lord.  There is not one who loves us and shows mercy and forgives us when we sin. There is no other truth and no other grace. We bless Your Holy name. Lord, fill our hearts with Yourself, with Your Word, by Your Spirit Who lives in us. May our hearts be Yours forever and Your praise be ever on our lips. Thank You for the privilege of coming to Your throne of grace in the Name of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
amen.

Psalm 85 - in my own words;

Lord, You showed Your favor to Israel.
You restored them from captivity.
You forgave their iniquity.
You covered their sins.
You stopped being angry at them.

Like that, Lord, would You restore our nation?
Would You turn Your anger back from us?
Will You revive us again?
May we who follow You, see Your lovingkindness and rejoice?

We pray that You will bring salvation to our land as well as to Israel.
May we hear Your voice once more.
Speak peace to us.
Help us not to be foolish anymore.
May the nations fear Your Holy Name.
May Your glory cover the earth.
Manifest Your Presence once again.
Open our eyes to know Your loving kindness and truth, Your righteousness and peace.
Let Truth spring up from the earth and righteousness rain down from heaven.
Let the goodness of the Lord bring forth good fruit .
Lord, lead us in Your ways.. as we walk in Your footsteps.
Amen

James 5:1-6
James exhorts those who have been unjust to repent.
They have hoarded their money, cheated their workers, and lived for their own pleasures.
Because of this God will bring judgement upon them unless they repent.
Their riches will rot.
Their clothing will be ruined.
Their treasures will rust.
Misery will be their reward.

v7-20  James exhorts the brethren to be patient.
As a farmer waits for his crops to mature before he harvests them, we are to wait for the Lord is coming. We are to wait with patience.
James also exhorts us in these ways:
We are to wait with strength of heart.
We are to wait without complaining.
We are to wait without judging one another.
We are to endure like Job and the prophets.
We are to trust in the compassion and mercy of God for the outcome He will bring.
We are to be honest in our dealings with others.
We are to pray for one another.
We are to seek healing from the Lord and ask for the elders to pray for us.
We are to confess our sins to one another.
We are to turn back those who have strayed from the truth.
We are to pray effectively.

Father, once again we ask that You teach us to pray.  May Your Name be hallowed and exalted in all the earth.  May Your Kingdom Come.  May Your will be done.  Give us our daily bread, for all comes from Your hands and You are our Provider.  Thank You.  Forgive us our sins and cleanse our hearts of all unrighteousness. May we be merciful to those who have harmed us, forgiving completely.  Lead us in Truth and purity, away from temptation and evil. Deliver us from the evil one.  For the Kingdom is Yours, the Glory is Yours, and the Power is Yours alone!
Amen.

Psalm 84  This is a song of praise to the Lord.  In it we find truths that we can use to offer our own personal praises to the Lord.

The Lord of hosts ( armies) dwells in beloved places.  The Temple itself was a place that God chose to place His Name.. to be present in.. to dwell with His people in a personal and powerful way.
No wonder those who loved Him longed to be there.  Their hearts and flesh.. inside and out they knew joy in the presence of the Lord.  It was Home to the Lord and those who stayed there were blessed.

The Lord, Who is King, is the God of Zion.  He blessed His people.. all those who lived for Him.
They found strength in Him.
They worshiped Him.
They found shelter in Him.
They received all things from Him with thankful hearts.
They trusted in Him.

God gave grace and glory to them. 
He gave good things to them. 
He shined His face upon them and blessed them. 

When our foremost desire is to be in the Presence of the Lord Most High.. when we make Him our strength, our shield... our everything... we will begin to understand the meaning of this psalm.
Can we say with the psalmist, " I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God, than dwell in the tents of wickedness." ?

The Israelites had a physical building that was the Lord's Temple.  The New Testament tells us that it is our body that is now a temple - for the Holy Spirit dwells in us who have been "bought with a price." .  Since He dwells in us - we are the beloved places! " How lovely are Your dwelling places.." now applies to us.  He is Present.. Personally and powerfully.  It is His Home and He is our home.

What a beautiful and mysterious truth from God's Word.

James 4 warns us what will happen when we allow a different spirit to dwell in us... one that is hostile toward God..
There will be quarrels and conflicts among us... ( v1)
Our own personal pleasures will wage wars in our members.
We will lust and murder, be envious and fight.. ( v2)
We will not pray for what we need or we will not pray with pure motives but with selfish ones. (v3)
We will have friendships with the world that are not pleasing to God. (v4)

Lust - cravings- strong desires... doesn't just apply to sexual desires as we think of it mostly today.   It is whatever entices us and carries us away ( James 1:14).  It is what gives birth to sin and brings death.  It is what the "world" offers that is hostile to the Lord. It is whatever causes us to be "adulteresses" ... unfaithful to the One we have committed our lives to.  It is whatever "pleasure" that becomes more important than God's Presence.

But, James does not leave us hopeless in our struggle, this war in our hearts.. for he tells us that God "gives a greater grace." !  It begins with humbling ourselves and submitting to Him.  We must resist the devil and he will flee from us. We must draw near to God and believe He will draw near to us. We must cleanse our hands and purify our hearts. Repentance includes mourning and humility.

Then, James tells us, " .. He will exalt you." 

As we do this, we will no longer have quarrels and conflicts, for we will learn to allow God to judge our neighbors instead of us. We will learn to submit to His plans instead of boasting of our own.  We will learn what the right thing to do is and then do it.  We will walk by His Spirit who dwells in us and Who blesses us.

Father, may our heart's desire be to dwell in Your Presence and not for the things of this world that will lead us into death and destruction.  Thank You for the "greater grace" that You give to us!
How we long to know Your Presence every day.  Open our eyes and hearts Lord to Your truth and grace.  Amen.

Psalm 83  The psalmist calls upon the Lord to deal with the enemies of Israel.  He wants them made like "whirling dust".   He calls upon God to use wind, fire, and storms to bring them to their knees.
"That they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth." 


James 3.  James has been writing about true faith which is accompanied by actions of love.  In this next section he focuses on the tongue.  " So speak and act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty." ( 2:12) What we say is just as important as what we do.
The tongue is:
small
boastful
a fire
a "world of iniquity"
defiling
 able to set " on fire the course of our life"
" set on fire by hell"
untamable
restless evil
full of deadly poison
able to bless and curse

It is of such importance that if one can "not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man." 
James compares the tongue to a small bit that controls a large horse, or a small rudder that controls a large ship.  Small but powerful.

Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 12: 34-37.  "... for the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart."  A man who has a "good treasure" will speak good.  One who has "evil treasure" will speak evil.  Words are so important, Jesus says, that we will render an account before the Lord for every "careless word".  " For by your words you shall be justified and by your words you shall be condemned." 

Like true faith is revealed by the works we do.. it is also revealed by the words we speak. 
Both works and words reveal what is in our hearts. 

There are 2 kinds of "wisdom" , James teaches.  One is "earthly, natural, and demonic" - the heart is full of "bitter jealousy and selfish ambition". It is arrogant and deceitful.  It is causes disorder and evil.
But, true wisdom is that which comes from the Lord.  " .. the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." 

The New World Dictionary defines wisdom as, " the quality of being wise; power of judging rightly and following the soundest course of action, based on knowledge, experience, understanding, etc.
The word wise is defined as " to see, to know, having or showing good judgement.. informed... "

So, if we have only earthly wisdom, we will make judgements based on what we know and understand naturally.  James tells us that this is driven by our sinful selves and will result in evil.

But, if we ask for and receive wisdom from God, Who freely and generously gives it.. we will make good judgements based on His Truth.  God's wisdom is pure, without sin.  It is unselfish.  It is full of peace, mercy, and gentleness. It bears fruit.. righteousness and peace.

Our words and works will prove or reveal what kind of wisdom we are operating our lives by - if our hearts are driven by natural wisdom they will be  arrogant, selfish, and deceitful  and our words and actions will be too.  But, if we have received true wisdom from above and live accordingly than our works and words will show it.  We need to keep our hearts filled up with the Good wisdom and live it out in our words and deeds. 

Father in heaven, fill us with Your wisdom today.  Let Your Word sink deep into our hearts and saturate our lives so that all that we do and all that we say will be pure and peaceable, gentle and reasonable, merciful and good.. We ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.

Psalm 81   Hear the voice of God as He calls for His people:

" Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel , if you would listen to Me!" ( v8)
 "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways!" ( v13)

But they wouldn't listen...
He commanded them to have no strange gods,  no idols, no foreign gods...
but they didn't trust Him enough to give us their superstitions and false beliefs.

If they would obey He would relieve their burdens, subdue their enemies, provide for their needs, and satisfy them completely.. ( v6, 10, 14, 16)

Psalm 82 continues to spell out God's desire for all of His people.

Judge justly. v2
Don't favor the wicked.
"Vindicate the weak and fatherless.
Do justice to the afflicted and destitute."v3
"Rescue the weak and needy;
Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked." v4

Which takes me back to James 2 and the definition of true faith -faith that "is pure and undefiled" (James 1:27)
"Faith.. if it has no works, is dead, being by itself" (v17)
True faith results in action including all the things in Psalms 82 and 83.
As "sons of the Most High" we are called to listen to Him and do as He says.
He is the judge of all the earth.. and ultimately the only standards that really matter are His.

Father in Heaven, forgive us for failing to do as You have commanded.  May our faith be  shown by our works.. our works of justice and compassion;  of love for the weak, the afflicted, the destitute, and the fatherless.  Help us to hear Your voice calling us to live according to Your Word and then to be doers of that Word.  May we walk in Your ways and bring glory to Your Name.  Fill us again with Your Holy Spirit we pray, in the Name of the glorious Son, Jesus.
amen.

Psalm 80   Always, in times of trouble, the psalmist calls upon the Lord.  The need is great and the only solution is God's face.  ".. cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved:"

It is the prayer that we need to repeat here, now, in our nation. "Restore us", o Lord!
We are nation that has squandered her wealth, her wisdom, and her heritage.  We have forsaken the face of God and the result is great darkness.  Shine Your face upon us, O Lord, and we will be saved!
He is still enthroned above the cherubim.
He is still the Lord God of hosts..
He is the only Hope of salvation.

We must pray... seriously pray to our God Most High.

 James 2:1-13
James is teaching practical truths of the faith.
Faith that endures trials because we trust God to make us complete in Him.
Faith that knows that everything good has been given by the Father.
Faith that has received His Word humbly and endeavors to do it, not just hear it.
Faith that is pure and undefiled and full of love for those in need.
Faith that is not biased.
Faith that is full of grace and mercy in words and action.

God has chosen us, "the poor",  "to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him..." To do less than what He has called us to do, dishonors His Name.
He calls us to "... love your neighbor as yourself".  James calls this the "royal law".  He says that when we are doing this we "are doing well."

Father, restore Your people, to truth and love and faith.  You have given us everything we need to walk in Your Light.  Help us to be faithful and to live by your Word.  We seek Your Face, Lord.  You are our everything.  May Your will be done in us today, I pray in the glorious Name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Psalm 79  The enemies of Israel - invaded, defiled, ruined, poured out, scoffed, derided, and fed their dead bodies to the wild birds and beasts.  The psalmist calls out to the Lord for vengeance on them, yet mercy on Israel.  His prayer focuses on the glory of the Name of the Lord.   For if the people of God and the nation of God are destroyed, the nations would say, "Where is their God?"

In our days, we hear something similar.  When there is war, violence, or natural disasters, people want to lash out at God or refuse to believe that a good God exists that could allow it.  But, we know that God is good and even when there are trials, even horrid atrocities... it is the result of the wickedness in men's hearts, not God's will.  He allows destruction, as He did in Israel, because of their sin and rebellion.

James 1

" Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials."  James tells us.
Trials of all kinds are part of life. It is how we deal with them that makes the difference.
Trials do test our faith.  We can endure... or we can turn away.
If we choose to keep trusting in the Lord, He will bring about completeness in us.
If we turn away from Him, we lose....everything.
"Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he is approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."  ( v12)

How do we persevere?
We ask for wisdom and receive it from His generous hand.
If we are poor, we thank Him for making us His children.
If we are rich, we thank Him for making us His servant.
We recognize that temptation comes from within ourselves, not from God.
We recognize that lust in our hearts, if allowed, will lead to sin and death.
We recognize and acknowledge that " every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow."
So we can completely trust Him!
We must live according to His Word.. "the word of Truth".
We must learn to be quick to hear and slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
We must put aside everything filthy, wicked, and deceptive.
We must "in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls." 
We must be doers of the word.
We must look intently at  the words that  God has given us to live by, and then do what it says. 
We must understand that true religion is not what is on the outside, but what is in the heart,  what is pure and acceptable and good in His eyes.

Father, Shepherd of your people,  lead us in Your paths of righteousness for Your Name's sake.   May we, Your people, never cause others to question where You are.  Help us to make Your Name known and glorified in our nation.  Help us to persevere.  Help us to live by Your word and do Your will.  Help us to be pure and blameless before You.  You are good and we put our trust in You today.  Praise Your holy Name. amen.