Psalm 81

 Psalm 81  "Sing for joy.. Shout joyfully.. Raise a song.. Blow the trumpet.. " These are the sounds of worship.. to honor the Lord, the God of Israel.. who delivered His people out of slavery and bondage.. into a land brimming with promise.. 

Yet, His people would not obey the statutes of God.. they would not listen to His voice.. They would not walk in His ways.. so they forfeited all His benefits..  all the grace that He would have lavished on them.  It is the same problem that plagues our world today.. the same sins that we all are in bondage to.. until He sets us free.. 

Look at what God did for His people and what He will do for all who will call on Him:

v6  He will relieve us from our burdens and free us from our worthless toil.. 

v7  He will hear us when we cry to Him and rescue us from the darkness... 

v8  He will prove us.. test us until we shine.. refine us like silver and gold, removing all impurities.. 

"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me!"  

O the benefits of LISTENING to God! 

"Open your mouth wide and I will fill it!" v10

"I would quickly subdue [your] enemies, and turn My hand against [your] adversaries." v13

".. I would feed you with the finest of the wheat; and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." v16

But, the people of Israel would not listen nor obey.  "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart to walk in their own devices." (v11-12)

Paul wrote in Romans 1.. "For this reason, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper, being filled with unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful.. " This is what happens when people walk "in their own devices".   

We see it plain as day.. in our news reports, in the television shows.. in our neighborhoods.. more and more it seems... 

Father in heaven, if not for Your patience.. for Your great mercy.. none could stand.  We are like Isaiah, crying, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips!"   For, You are holy.. and in You there is no darkness.. only Light!  Hallelujah!  We have all sinned and fallen short.. we freely confess.. but, O praise the Name of Jesus, we have been set free! We have cried out to You and You have heard us and delivered us!  You are at work in us, refining us, proving us.. filling us, feeding us.. satisfying us.  Thank You, gracious God and Father, Jesus Christ, our King, and Holy Spirit, our Mighty Counselor.  Guide us continually into Your Presence, that we might sing for joy, shout joyfully to You.. raising our songs of praise to the glory of Your Name. Amen

Psalm 80

 Psalm 80   Three times, Asaph, the writer of this psalm, utters this prayer:

 "O God, restore us! And cause Thy face to shine upon us, and we will be saved"  It is the plea of his heart and the theme of his song. It is his desire and his most urgent need! It is the heart need of every human being who has ever lived and who will ever be born... 

Verses 1-2  Asaph addresses his prayer to the "Shepherd of Israel"  Only God, the God Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.. the God of "Joseph".. of" Ephraim and Benjamin and Manassah"; the God who is "enthroned above the cherubim".. can save.   ".. stir up Thy power", the writer asks.  Have we  the faith to ask this way?

In verses 5-16 Asaph uses the image of a vine to describe Israel.  A vine that God had uprooted from Egypt and planted in the promised land. A vine that "took deep root" and "filled the land". But, a vine that had been plundered by beasts.. burned with fire.. and finally cut down.  "O God of hosts, " the writer pleads, "turn again now, we beseech Thee; look down from heaven and see, and take care of this vine." (v14)

The psalmist's final request is this.. " Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the son of man whom Thou didst make strong for Thyself. Then we will not turn back from Thee; Revive us, and we will call upon Thy name."  We have the great privilege to know that this prayer was answered in a way the psalmist could not have imagined.. in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of man and the Son of God.  Hallelujah!  He is the Savior!

Father in heaven, we come before You to proclaim the greatness of Your holiness, of Your glory, and of Your amazing grace. Thank You for answering our prayers for salvation.. for restoration.. for the blessedness of Your face that "shines upon us".. bringing us Light.  Thank You for Jesus, the True vine and for grafting us on this vine as "branches".. for bringing forth the fruit of Your Spirit, to the glory of Your holy Name.  We ask that You truly "stir up Your power" once again.. in Israel, to restore them to Yourself... and in us, Your people, the sheep of Your pasture.  May the Name of Jesus be proclaimed in all the earth, that more men and women and children will call upon His name and be saved.  We ask this in faith, believing that all things are possible for You!  Be glorified in Your people today, Lord God, as we go out in Jesus' name. Amen.

Psalm 79

 Psalm 79  In his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, Tozer writes this about the sovereignty of God : "Within the broad field of God's sovereign, permissive will the deadly conflict of good with evil continues with increasing fury. God will yet have His way in the whirlwind and the storm, but the storm and the whirlwind are here, and as responsible beings we must make our choice in the present situation."   In the midst of Hurricane Ian.. I find this statement highly impactful... 

 Tozer goes on to speak of the "law of choice and consequences".  God has made clear that only those who commit themselves to Christ will receive eternal Life.  Those who "love darkness and continue in rebellion against the high authority of heaven shall remain in a state of spiritual alienation and suffer eternal death at last."  He writes, "... whoever is on God's side is on the winning side and cannot lose; whoever is on the other side is on the losing side and cannot win. Here there is no chance, no gamble. There is freedom to choose which side we shall be on but no freedom to negotiate the results of the choice once it is made.  By the mercy of God we may repent a wrong choice and alter the consequences by making a new and right choice. Beyond that we cannot go." 

So, as we approach Psalm 79, this is what I am thinking of..  for the psalmist is lifting his complaint to the Lord.. " O God, the nations have invaded Thine inheritance.. "  A whirlwind indeed... 

The temple was defiled.

Jerusalem was in ruins.

The servants of God were killed. Their bodies devoured by the vultures.. 

The land had become a reproach.

"How long, O Lord? Wilt Thou be angry forever?" the psalmist cries out. ".. Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; Let Thy compassion come quickly to meet us." 

The consequences of sin had brought Jerusalem to ruin. They had rebelled. They had made a choice and reaped the harvest of their sins.  But, here the psalmist prays and his prayer begins with repentance:

Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name; And deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Thy name's sake. Why should the nations say, 'Where is their God?'"

The psalmist then makes his request to God.  He prays for the the Lord to avenge the blood of His servants.  He prays for deliverance for the prisoners. He prays for the reproach that Israel experienced be turned back to their enemies. 

Then finally, the psalmist ends his prayer with thanksgiving and praise. "So we Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture will give thanks to Thee forever; to all generations we will tell of Thy praise." 

Father in heaven, we choose You. We choose to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is our Savior and has paid our ransom.. Hallelujah!  We desire to live in surrender and obedience to Your good and perfect will.  Yes, we are "but flesh".. and we often fail to hit the mark of true holiness.. but You have forgiven us and given to us the righteousness of Christ and we are so thankful.  We pray that You will deliver us from whatever whirlwinds that come our way.... that Your will be done in our hearts and minds and wills.  To the glory of Your holy Name.  We are Your people and the sheep of Your pasture.. and we want no other way.  To God be the glory and honor and power and praise. Amen

Psalm 78

 Psalm 78

"Listen, O my people, to my instruction... " the psalmist begins.  For 72 verses Asaph writes a song.. remembering the history of Israel, from the deliverance from Egypt to the reign of David.. God had been gracious.. and Israel had failed to remain faithful.  There is a lesson that needed to be taught.  A lesson that needed to be handed down from one generation to the next.  Do "not conceal them from [your] children.." those words of God.. His commandments and His works. What a vital message! We must be more faithful than ancient Israel.. to teach our children well!

What an important thing for us to remember.. to put into action as much and as often as we can! To "tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done." ( v4)  God commanded Israel to teach their children.. who in turn would teach their children. "That they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments." 

Failure to teach the Truths of God would result in "a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God. "(v8) And we see this truth with our own eyes in our own generations.. 

The rest of this psalm is a history of Israel - a reminder of what exactly it was that they needed to remember and teach their children.. the things that bring them back to the fear of God.. to obey His commands and find Life in Him:

The miracles that brought them out of Egypt.. the divided sea.. the cloud that led by day and the fire by night.. the manna from heaven.. the quail that fell like rain on their camp.. the water from the rock.. the plagues and the the provisions. 

God "being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; and often He restrained His anger and did not arouse His wrath.." (v38)...  even though Israel complained.. failed to believe.. rebelled.. and forgot Him.. over and over and over again.  "They did not remember His power.. " verse 42 says.. and perhaps that is something that we also need to think on once again. 

When we truly trust Him.. He will lead us, like He did His people.. "like sheep".. to  guide us "in the wilderness like a flock".. to "safety, so that [we] do not fear".  He gave His people David.. to shepherd "them according the the integrity of his heart, and [guide] them with his skillful hands", the psalmist concludes.  And we are reminded of the Good Shepherd, who leads us to still waters.. to green pastures.. through valleys of shadows.. and will lead us finally and forever Home.  Hallelujah!

We must remember His power!

Father in heaven, Holy God and Righteous King, we come to You once again, to lay down our lives.. to take up our crosses and to follow Jesus.. our Good Shepherd.  He laid down His life for us!  He rose again from the grave.. conquering every enemy.. hallelujah!  He has all authority in heaven and on the earth.. and He is on our side!  You move mountains.. You part the waters.. You heal the blind and set the prisoners free.  You are compassionate and forgiving.. You know that we are "but flesh".. weak and often fickle.. forgive us.  Come, Holy Spirit, and lead us into Your Truth once again.. fill our hearts and our minds with Your Word.  You are our strength..  May we be faithful to tell the next generation of Your mighty works and never.. ever.. forget Your power. Hallelujah.. nothing is impossible for our God! Praise the Lord! Amen. 

Psalm 77

 Psalm 77 The first part of this psalm, verses 1-10, tell of the great anguish of the writer.  He is greatly troubled. 

He cannot sleep. His prayers feel in vain.

He can't find comfort in his normal approach to God.. not in prayer.. not in songs.. not in his memories. 

"Then I said, " It is my grief, that the right hand of the Most High has changed." 

He is confessing his wrong thinking.. 

Then the psalmist makes a deliberate decision to change focus.. to "meditate on all Thy work..." To turn his thoughts fully towards remembering the great ways and deeds of God.

"Thy way, O God, is holy;" (v13)  

Always a good place to start .. a statement of faith!   Tozer wrote, "We trust in what God is. I believe that this alone is true faith."   The courage of the psalmist is revealed in these words..in the midst of impossible circumstances.. he turns his eyes to the God of the impossible.  This is what God IS.. He is holy and His way is holy. 

"What god is like our God?" he asks.. and we need to remember too!

He works wonders!

He redeems people!

He parts waters!

He sends a whirlwind to do His bidding!

He lights up the world!

He makes the earth to tremble!

He can walk through the deepest ocean.. and

He leads His people! 

This is the God we serve.  Yes, there may be a hurricane coming..but we have a God who is bigger than a hurricane! In fact, it is completely in His control. No matter what happens.. whether a physical storm or a financial storm... an emotional upset or a crisis of any kind.. we can turn our anxious thoughts over to Him.. make our requests.. knowing with confidence that He hears us.. even if we don't feel it.. and we can find comfort in the God who moves mountains!  Hallelujah!

Father in heaven, You are holy.  Your ways are holy. Your Name is to be hallowed.. may it be so in all the earth. Keep us walking in faith, believing that You are who You say You are.. and resting in that Truth. Be glorified in our lives.. the life that You have given to us in Christ Jesus. our blessed Lord. Be near to us today in what ever storms are heading our way and may we find that You are indeed here with us.. always!  Amen. 

Psalm 76

 Psalm 76  Once again I return to the Old Testament.. to finish the last half of the book of Psalms.  This Psalm proclaims the majesty and might of our God.  "God is known in Judah;" the writer begins... and this is the Truth that is vital to us also.. that we could join our voices and say.. "God is known to me.. ." Oh what grace!  Only because He revealed Himself to us.. only because He chose to love us.. only because He purposed to redeem us.. all because of His marvelous grace!

"His name is great in Israel." the psalmist adds.  And this brings to mind Psalm 145:3 "Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable."  Jesus teaches us to pray..  "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name."  His Name is great.. whether we call Him Adonai.. Jehovah.. Almighty God, or Father.. we are hallowing.. honoring His great Name. Acknowledging that there is no other Name.. no other God that is great like our God. 

Verse 2 tells of one way that God is great.. He established His dwelling place.. in Jerusalem.  He came to be in the center of His people. He made a way for them to know Him and to worship.  He stopped the arrows , the swords, and the "weapons of war".  Great is our God. He has established.. in our hearts.. a dwelling place too.. to be in the center of all who call on the Name of Jesus. Hallelujah!

v4 "Thou art resplendent, more majestic than the mountains of prey."  Resplendent - dazzling - magnificent, shining..glorious... worthy of high praise. 

The Lord judged those who came against His people.. they were "plundered" and they died. They were "rebuked" and destroyed.  Our God is a God to be feared by those who do evil. They will not stand in His presence in their sin and arrogance.  His judgement is fierce in His anger.. and it will cause the earth to fear and be still. (v5-8)

All of this, the psalmist continues, is because He came to "save all the humble of the earth."  Hallelujah! Therefore.. we must praise Him!  We must fulfill our vows to Him. We must bring Him gifts.. sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving.. even our very selves..  (v9-11)

We serve a God who judges the princes and kings of this world.  He is the Judge of the dictator and the elected officials.  He is the judge.. and therefore to be feared. 

Father in heaven, we hallow Your Name.  May Your Name be honored and kept sacred in this world. We praise You, Father, for making Yourself known to us through Jesus Christ. We thank You for the grace that has been lavished on us.. for how else could we ever stand before You?  Thank You for redeeming us from the pit.. and saving us from our enemy.  May we ever commit ourselves to You with whole hearts.. May we walk in faith that Your grace.. Your power.. Your love will be seen in our lives this day.  Use us according to Your will, that the darkness be overcome by the Light of Your majesty. In the Name of Jesus, our Lord and King, we pray. Amen

Matthew 27-28

 Matthew 27:57-8:20:   Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and secured permission to take the body of Jesus for burial.  With, what I imagine, great love and care, he washed the matted blood away and wrapped linen cloth around Him. He took the body of Jesus to his own tomb, set Him in the place that he had prepared in the rock.. and rolled a great stone against the entrance. What a gracious and humble deed to honor the One that he loved. 

Mary Magdalene... and the "other Mary".. watched carefully.. planning to return after the Sabbath to complete the anointing of the body.  But, when they came back.. the stone was rolled away!  The angel proclaimed the resurrection! And, filled with "fear and great joy".. they ran to tell the disciples!

The chief priests and Pharisees.. knowing that Jesus had spoken clearly of His resurrection wanted the tomb sealed and guarded for those 3 days..  They claimed that the disciples might come and steal the body...huh!  The guards were dispatched.. but when the angel appeared to them, they "shook for fear.. and became like dead men."  They were paid to lie about everything and spread the rumors that the body had been stolen. 

The disciples.. mourned in the upper room.. until the women came to tell them that Jesus had risen, JUST LIKE HE SAID!  They finally believed.. although some still doubted until they saw Him.  

Matthew skips straight to the final commission that Jesus leaves with His disciples.. "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. " 

Four responses.. 

The humble graciousness of Joseph.

The loving devotion of the women.

The suspicious manipulations of the priests and Pharisees.

The fearful unbelief of the disciples.. 

What is our response? 

 " Come, let us worship and bow down!  Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.. " " ( Psalm 95:6-8a) 

Father, You have given us the Word of Life, the Beloved Son, to be our Lord and King. We have been given  a great commission to tell others of the Truth that they may also become disciples of Jesus.  You have given us the work and will enable us to do it! We need to be strong in the Lord, using the weapons of righteousness to push back the darkness.. to stand firm in this evil age.. to plunder the enemy of our Lord. By Your great power and boundless might.. raise up the church of Christ to answer the call, believing with all our hearts the Jesus is with us always!  Even to the end of the age!  Hallelujah! What a Savior!  Amen and amen!