Psalm 88

 Psalm 88 This psalm is a desperate prayer from a man who  feels that he is about to die.. and not just pass into his heavenly home.. but to go down to Abaddon - the place of destruction..It is attributed to Heman the Ezrahite.

"O Lord, the God of my salvation, I have cried out by day and in the night before Thee. Let my prayer come before Thee; Incline Thine ear to my cry!" 

The psalmist is in trouble and he feels his life is done. " I am reckoned among those who go down to the pit; I have become like a man without strength."   Perhaps we have  felt that way at one time or another. On our sickbed.. in depression.. under horrible circumstances .. of our own making or not..  We might feel forsaken, cut off, afflicted.. alone and in terror. The psalmist feels as if God has rejected him and in anger has brought him to the point of death.  I don't know that I have ever felt that level of darkness and pain.. but I know some who have.. 

Yet, in spite of his feelings.. which he honestly lifts up to God in prayer.. it is clear that the psalmist's faith is in the Lord. 

" I have called upon Thee every day, O Lord; I have spread out my hands to Thee." ( v9)

"But I, O Lord, have cried out to Thee for help, and in the morning my prayer comes before Thee." (v13)

This psalm does not end with resolution or praise or any answers.. and we know by experience that we sometimes do not get an answer to our prayers.. at least not one we can see.  But, we can still learn from this psalm.. that even when we are in our most desperate need.. we can walk in faith.. in prayer.. trusting the Lord.. as Psalm 86:15 reminds us "But Thou, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth."  As my friend Kate said Sunday night.. "We must speak truth to ourselves!" 

Father in heaven, You are good.  Your lovingkindness is abundant to us who call upon You.  You have not forsaken us or left us in darkness.. even if we don't always see things as You do.  Keep us walking in faith and in truth, according to Your good will. Open our eyes, Lord, that we might see Your glory and praise Your name today.. no matter what our circumstances might be.  In Jesus' name we come. Amen. 

Psalm 87

 Psalm 87  This song proclaims the glory of Zion, the city of God:

It is His "foundation.. in the holy mountains.." 

It is a place that the Lord loves..

It will be established by "the Most High Himself". 

He will count and register the peoples there. 

Joy will spring up in singing and with flutes for all who are "born there". 

What does it mean to us when the Lord Himself says "This one and that one were born in her" ?  

Ultimately it means that the place of God's Presence - will become home for all who trust in Him. Our citizenship is forever changed..  As Jesus prayed for His disciples at the last supper.. "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. " ( John 17:16)  We have a new birthplace.. a new hometown!

The writer of Hebrews wrote. "But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant and to the sprinkled bold, which speaks better than the blood of Abel." (12:22-24) 

Zion is the unshakable kingdom.. the blessed hope that we have in Christ. 

"This world is not my home, I'm just a-passin' through; my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.. " 

There is a beautiful song by Wayne Watson called "Born in Zion".  You can find it on YouTube.. one stanza speaks of the Father's declaration: "This one was born in Zion.. this one is Mine.. this one will never die.. "  This is the hope and foundation of every true believer in Jesus Christ.  Praise His Name!

Father, thank You for bringing us out of this world and into the realm and reign of the Lord Jesus, our King forever!  O the wonder and joy that is our inheritance kept for us where there is no rust or mold or anything that can ever take it away! Thank You, Father.  We set our hearts towards You and our eternal home. O Lord, You are good and Your lovingkindness is abundant. We praise Your holy Name. Amen.

Psalm 86

 Psalm 86  Andrew Murray wrote, ".. the psalms take us into the sanctuary of God's presence to experience the riches of fellowship with Him. If you truly desire, each morning, to meet with God and worship Him in Spirit and in truth, then let your heart be filled with the Word of God expressed in the psalms. As you read the psalms, underline the words Lord or God wherever they occur, and also the pronouns referring to God: You, He, and I... the underlined words will assist you in connecting the content of the psalm with God, who is the object of all prayer." 

So, I tried this in Psalm 86.. 44 times, David directs his prayer to the Lord! His prayer is clearly focused on the only One who hears.. the One that David trusted.. the One that he worshipped. We can learn much about how to pray for this psalm.. 

"Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and answer me; for I am afflicted and needy." (v1)  "Blessed are the poor in spirit.." Jesus taught.. and we recognize that truth as David did.. for we are all in great need.. spiritually poverty stricken.. without any way to provide life or help for ourselves.  We call out to the Lord who hears and answers our cries:

Preserve our souls.. 

Save Your servants.. 

Be gracious to me..

"Make glad the soul of Thy servant, for to Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul." (v4) 

This is a prayer from someone who desperately knows his need and humbly bows before the Lord.  Do we come to the Lord in prayer with this sense of desperation and humility? 

David's prayer is lifted up.. and his heart begins to worship:

"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 god's O Lord; Nor are there any works like Thine." (v8) 

"For Thou art great and doest wondrous deeds; Thou alone art God." (v10)

"But Thou, O God, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.." (v15)

These are great verses to incorporate into prayer.. to connect with God who is present.. to unite with Him in fellowship.. to truly worship. 

David expressed thanksgiving to the Lord in this prayer:

"I will give thanks to Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will glorify Thy name forever." 

And, he expressed his commitment and devotion:

"Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth; Unite my heart to fear Thy name." (v11) 

Father in heaven, we join in this prayer of David's, seeking Your presence and fellowship; bringing our desperate needs before You; and bowing before You in worship.. in spirit and in truth.  You are gracious and merciful.. You hear our cries and help us.  You are our comforter and Savior.  Thank You for saving us, for lifting us up out of the ashes and bringing beauty and strength so that we can have life in Jesus Christ our Lord.  May all the nations worship You. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done!  You alone are God and we are Your servants.. the sheep of Your pasture.  Be glorified in us and use us as You choose.. for the glory of Your Holy Name. Amen. 

Psalm 85

 Psalm 85  Look at what the Lord has done, the psalmist writes:

He showed us favor.

He restored us from captivity.

He forgave our iniquity.

He covered our sin.

He withdrew His fury.

He turned away His anger.  (v1-3)

It's like he is saying.. listen.. remember.. take note.. this is what the Lord has done for YOU!  What Grace!

It is by grace that we have come to know Him.. to have our blind eyes.. opened.  To have our sinful hearts cleansed.. to be freed from the penalty of sin.. from death.. from darkness.. from hell.  Christ Jesus took upon Himself the wrath that was rightfully ours.. He bore it.. His blood has turned away our punishment. Hallelujah ! What a Savior!

Because of this.. we can pray.. boldly come to the throne of grace.. and ask these things that are impossible for man.. but wonderfully provided by our Lord:

We ask for the "God of our salvation" to "restore us".  To keep us from all anger and indignation that we might cause Him when we fail.. 

We ask for continual revival and rejoicing in Him.

We ask for His unfailing love and kindness.. and for the salvation of others. 

We ask for His peace.. wholeness and health and rest in Jesus. 

We ask the He keep us from foolishness. 

We ask that His Kingdom come, that we might dwell in His presence forever.

(v4-9)

The beauty of these next verses are surely the answer to such a prayer:

"Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth springs from the earth; and righteousness looks down from heaven." 

The Lord gives us what is good. He provides for our needs. He leads us in paths of righteousness. "and will make His footsteps into a way." (v10-13)

Father in heaven, praise and honor and glory to Your Name!  Your unmeasurable goodness and eternal love are awesome and amazing! Father, let Your Name be exalted in all the earth.  May Your will be done and Your Kingdom come. We do ask for daily bread.. for forgiveness of sins.. and for merciful hearts to have forgiveness and love for others.  We pray that You would lead us into all righteousness and deliver us from all evil. We come with hearts of gratitude for all that You have given to us.. for Your favor..for Your salvation.. for Your Presence.  All praise to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.. Three in One.  Amen. 

Psalm 84

 Psalm 84  "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts!"  This psalm is attributed to the sons of Korah.  This prominent group of singers presented this hymn of praise, revealing a heart for God.. a passion for being in the presence of their King and God.  This is the kind of song that is so personal and beautiful that we want to sing it ourselves!

The Easy translation says it this way: " I want very much to go to the Lord's temple. I very much want to be in the temple yards. With all that I am, and with great joy, I sing to you, the God who lives forever!" (v2)

Even the birds of the air, the psalmist writes, want to be near your altars.  Those who live in the temple are so blessed!  "They can praise you all the time!" 

As the people of the Lord travel from their homes.. towards Jerusalem.. to come to the temple they "become stronger as they travel, until each one meets with God is Zion."  From "strength to strength" the NASB says. 

Do we ever feel that way as we head out to church on a Sunday morning?  Perhaps our prayer needs to be more like this psalmist..  "Behold our shield, O God, and look upon the face of Thine anointed. For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness."  

Lord, give us a desire to be in Your Presence.. a desire and a passion to come together in our local congregations.. to worship in harmony and unity.. to find strength in coming.. in singing.. in rejoicing in You. You are a "sun and a shield" to us.  You give us Light that overcomes the darkness of this world. You protect us and deliver us from evil.  You give "grace and glory".  You do not withhold any good things from those who walk with You.  "O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!" Father, we need You. We need to be filled with Your Spirit. We need to find that passion and longing that the psalmist wrote about.. to come to Your house as often as we can.. Lead us, Lord, in Your ways and meet us in church and all along the way,  we pray. In Jesus' precious name. Amen. 

Psalm 83

Psalm 83   "O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still."  Now, isn't that a prayer!

We often want to pray the same thing, don't we?  We don't hear Him.. we don't see Him.. we want Him to act.. to solve our problems, to heal our sickness, to save our loved one.. to do what we want Him to do - in our way.. and in our time frame.  But, He doesn't work that way.

The psalmist pleads and presents his argument.. ".. Thine enemies make an uproar;"  They "hate" Your people. They make "shrewd plans against Thy people."  They want to "wipe" us out!  He names names too:  Edom, the Ishmaaelites, Moab, the Hagrites.. etc, etc. etc.   "O my God, make them like the whirling dust; like chaff before the wind.. " the psalmist prays,  ".. like fire that burns the forest, and like a flame that sets the mountain on fire, so pursue them with Thy tempest, and terrify them with Thy storm.. " Basically.. sent them a volcano AND a hurricane!  Wow.. that's a pretty bold.. and perhaps harsh prayer request, isn't it?

But then, the psalmist throws a bit of a twist here.. "Fill their faces with dishonor, that they may seek Thy name, O Lord.... that they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the Lord, art the Most High over all the earth."  

Sometimes, the Lord does act in ways that humble, dismay, make ashamed.. even humiliate.. the wicked. All through the Bible there are examples of times that great judgements are waged on sinful people.. and sometimes that is what it takes for them to repent of their sins and turn back to the Lord, who alone is God, the Most High. 

As we read back through that list of nations and people that the psalmist named.. we see that most, if not all, are no longer nations today.  Their descendants were changed forever.. and yes, there are still plenty of nations who hate Israel and still wish it to be wiped out; there are plenty of wicked people who persecute and kill Christians.. and there are plenty of people who still would rather never hear the Word of the Lord.. But, let us not quit praying that perhaps some.. will seek Him.. some will know that He is the Lord, the Most High over all the earth!

Father, be exalted! Let Your Name be honored and glorified in ALL the earth. May Your people who are called by Your Name, stand firm in faith and in prayer for the lost. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 

Psalm 82

 Psalm 82 The Psalmist here is lamenting the fact that God's judgements seem quite unfair to him.  It seems that the  "wicked" are getting away with murder.. while the "weak and fatherless.. the afflicted and destitute.. the weak and needy" are suffering unjustly.  His prayer rises up in a desperate plea.. "Vindicate.. Rescue.. Deliver.. "Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is Thou who dost possess all the nations." 

We wonder, sometimes, about this same thing in the world today.  Why do the wicked get rich and the righteous seem to eke by..  If we are all "sons of the Most High".. if we are all in the same boat.. headed to judgement before the same God.. why are things the way they are?

Again, the words that Andrew Murray wrote so many years ago.. that I just read this morning.. speak to the very issue .. the issue of sin in the world.. 

"Never forget.. " he begins, "that your whole relationship with God depends on what you think of sin and of yourself as a redeemed sinner.

It was because of sin that God did not spare His own Son. It was sin that nailed Jesus to the cross, and revealed the depth and the power of the love with which He loved.... never forget that it was sin that led to your experience of salvation in Jesus Christ, and that each day He greatly desires to deliver and keep you from its power and transform you into His likeness."

"... it is the thought of sin that makes Christ so precious, keeps us dependent on His grace every moment, and inspires us to lay claim to being more than conquerors through Him who loved us. It is the thought of sin that calls us to thank God with a broken and humble heart." 

We see the wickedness around us.. we hear of their exploits and callousness. But, if we look closely, we will see that they too.. are aware.. even if they don't admit it.. the certainty of coming judgement.  Even when we feel like the psalmist, that God is not being fair.. let us remind ourselves, that God is always just and that we have experienced His mercy.. His deliverance.. and that He will vindicate His own people.  Let us remember that without His grace we would be in the same boat as those who we are so upset about.  So, as we pray for the weak, the fatherless, the afflicted, the destitute, the needy.. let us also pray for those who are "wicked".. lost.. walking in darkness.. not knowing or understanding.. let us ask the God who possesses "all the nations".. to move mountains.. to part the waters.. and to bring the lost .. home.. to find the Life that is in Christ alone. 

Father, hear our prayers . Send forth workers into the harvest.. bring the lost to Yourself as only You can do. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen