Be Still…

Read Psalm 112

“Joyful are those who fear the Lord.” This psalm overflows with the benefits of following God’s ways. It sounds too good to be true. “All goes well” doesn’t always seem to be the case for most of us. We struggle. We have sadness and pain.

Does that mean I’m not godly enough? Would my troubles go away, never to return, if I just had more faith or lived my life differently? I’m struggling with this psalm from that perspective. How about you?

I don’t like spending time frustrated or feeling confused. I want to be growing in my walk with God. So, I took another look at this psalm. How about this? Rather than feeling like I am falling short of the mark of what a true follower should be, I focus on the benefits. I must agree they are there and available. I often reap these benefits, too.

I do confidently trust the Lord to care for me. After all, he loves me so much. I am fearless, and its not because I have my black belt in karate. It is because I have a mighty God, and his spirit lives in me.

I can give generously to those in need with my time and resources (v 9). I look forward to the day when I can do more. There is joy in doing this. The rewards of service are hard to describe.  Have a servant heart, and joy will follow. Where are you serving God?

I try to treat people fairly and certainly conduct business in that way (v 5). Being in a new town, country, culture, we have been especially careful to be friendly, respectful and courteous. Our attempts at learning the language and communicating is appreciated here as not all foreigners have chosen to learn the language. I want to be a blessing to people no matter what our dealings are.

Wealth. Not sure I feel all that wealthy (v. 3), in terms of monetary prominence. There are many people, even in our area in Mexico with much more money in the bank. Where I lack in cash, I have my health and many talents. Even financially, I am very blessed in comparison to many of the local families struggling in this economy.

We need to take ourselves out of the equation. We need to be emptied of ourselves so we are ready and open to let God in. We need to love and trust God because he is walking with us through whatever we are going through right now. We need to let God handle it.

Let’s pray. Father I thank you for all that you have given me. I am rich beyond all my dreams because I have your love and protection. I want to grow every closer to you, Lord, and I pray for your guidance. Forgive me when I try to forge ahead on my own. Bless all those hurting today. May they feel your presence and assurance  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Psalm 111

Praise the Lord! This is something to be done 24/7. Do we just reserve our praise and adoration for an hour or two on Sunday morning? Do we take time each day to give praise and honor to our God? Or do we live our lives in constant worship?

This psalm is a great reminder of why we should praise and WHO we should praise.

–how amazing are the deeds of the Lord — we should ponder them.

–his righteousness never fails

–he gives food to those who trust

–he is just and good

–his commandments are trustworthy and true

–he has paid a ransom for his people

The ransom, Jesus. Jesus came to pay for our sins and to bring us freedom. Because of Jesus we have eternal life with him. Ponder that. How can we be unmoved?

“Reverence for the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.” Who doesn’t want to be wise. We may think we’ve got it together, but we don’t really. The world offers so much distraction and false wisdom. There’s always a new self help book, latest nutrition fad, and “spiritual” practices abound.

But, I put my trust in Biblical truth. The word of the Almighty. I want to revere God and be in awe of him, trusting and obeying him.  That’s reverence, and that’s true wisdom.

This week we are singing Chris Tomlin’s song, “ALMIGHTY” at church…in Spanish!  Here is the English version. Be moved. Click HERE.

Let’s pray. Lord, help me shut out the noise of the world and be more focused on you. May your Word speak to me. You are the King of Kings, my Almighty God, and I bow down before you. How can I help others to do the same? I pray that they will see the wonder of you that makes us complete. Show me Lord. I think of all the prayer concerns you hear each day, Lord, as our lists grow longer and longer. I cry out for all my friends and family who are separated from you. They are not building the true foundation of wisdom. Stir in their hearts the desire for you and bring others to their side. Use me to be that light to somebody today. In Jesus’ precious name. Amen.

Read Psalm 110

What were your thoughts when you first read through today’s psalm? I was thinking, this is really prophetic and points to Jesus.

This psalm is, in fact, one of the most quoted psalms in the New Testament. It’s full of references like, “my Lord”, “sit in honor at my right hand”, “rule over enemies”, “a priest forever”, “he will be victorious”. Jesus fought the final battle with evil in the book of Revelation, and he was victorious indeed. Praise be to God!

I don’t know about you, but I love it when scripture does this — agrees with itself.  It proclaims what is to be long before it is. I love when God reveals himself so that his love can be made known.

Think of this — the same Holy Spirit that filled David as he wrote this psalm is alive and well today, living inside us. We are his, too. As followers of Jesus we have access to the power present in creation, that filled the believers at Pentecost (in the book of Acts), that gave Moses the courage and strength to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. We have access to THAT power! Praise be to God!

How does that make you feel?

I’m a bit intimidated, truth be told, yet invincible. Does that makes sense? Can both exist simultaneously? Feeling awe is necessary to take us to the next level of ultimate trust.

How is the Spirit moving in you today? Maybe it’s too early to tell, so think about this week. Where have you seen the Spirit at work?

For me, God’s spirit is most evident when I lead worship. I can feel his fire cursing through my bloodstream. I feel a warmth and connection like at  no other time. I feel numb almost, overcome with a peace that I can’t explain.

I also see his provision when I don’t have the strength or desire to complete a task. Do you ever struggle with fatigue or lack of desire to complete a task? We all do. But when I call upon God and work as if for him alone, I am refreshed to complete what I needed to do.

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below. We can celebrate together on how we see God working in us!

One of my favorite worship leaders, Kari Jobe, has a song called Holy Spirit, and I’d like to share a video of this worship time. Click HOLY SPIRIT.

Let’s pray. Father, I come to you today and am trying hard to close out the noise and busyness of the day ahead. Yet, in the stillness you are here, waiting for me. Thank you. I am in awe of you. You are great beyond comprehension. Help me still my soul so I can hear you. Walk with me this day. Open my heart so I can be more attentive to your prompts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Psalm 109

Have you ever bargained with God? Have you ever told God what to do (ever so nicely I’m sure)? I think we all have done, some more than others. This psalm is chalk full of David giving God directions. This is known as an imprecatory psalm, a call for God to judge the wicked. David isn’t asking for wealth or fame for himself, but he is asking, or telling, God how to treat the wicked.

Have you ever felt bullied? David had his share of that, and I get the sense here that he’s had enough. It’s hard to sit back and watch our enemies or those who bully us get away with it. Somehow they always seem to rise above it and be blessed. That’s the appearance anyway. What if we could see inside their hearts?

We’re supposed to love our enemies, too. What if we saw them from the inside only to realize they were hurting, or tormented, or worse. Perhaps their evil actions against us were only a by-product of their own misery and need of a Savior. Does that possibly change your perspective? I wonder if it would have for David in this psalm.

It is important for us to remember that God loves EVERYBODY he created. Sometimes we want to ration God’s love and think he can’t possibly love those who don’t know or acknowledge him. Yet, don’t you  also believe that God is yearning for them, maybe even more? The story of the prodigal son comes to mind for me.

So today, what should be our marching orders? Let’s make a special effort to reach out to those we consider enemies. If direct contact is too raw or dangerous, go to your knees in prayer for them. Pray for them, not against them as David was modeling for us. David sought vengeance and discipline. May we seek peace and reconciliation, healing, change of heart, or an awakening to the truth.

Let’s pray. Father, it’s so easy to wish condemnation on those who persecute us. Help me instead to love on or be a better disciple towards them. Clean my heart from the hurt and ill feelings so that I can love and care for them. Please awaken in them an awareness of you and your goodness so they can follow you and not be caught up in the evil of this world. Guide all I say and do this day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Psalm 108

I love the words of praise and worship in verses 1 through 5. I noticed this psalm has three “voices” in it: David’s praise, the Lord’s glory, and David’s query. Let’s focus on the praise and thanksgiving section today.

You may recall these same verses appear in Psalm 57. Could it be that this was a “song” that was popular with the people (or at least David), so he wanted to “replay” it again here? We all have favorite hymns and praise songs that come to mind when we want to sing our adoration. Some of these songs may even have a positive connection to a memory of a past experience.

I love the words of “this” favorite hymn. “My heart is confident in you, O God.” Definitely. There is nothing more sure, more confident, more everlasting than our God. We can rely on things of this world but will always be dissatisfied. God is where we should place our trust.

“I will waken the dawn with my song.” When do we praise? From the moment we open our eyes each day our lips should sing praise. Before we let the tasks of the day flood our minds and distract, we need to be in touch with God. Our day can only begin right in his presence, acknowledging him and thanking him for his goodness. The tone for our day is set when we put God first and ask him to be the Lord and Master of our time.

“May your glory shine over all the earth.” Indeed. What a beautiful sight that would be. What a great expectation or request of God, asking that his glory shine! Imagine God’s radiance covering the earth. All desperation, sadness, fear, and evil would be wiped away. It’s the image of Jesus returning. Never ending joy. Peace for all.

What verses spoke to you today? Jot them down in the comments below.

Finally, “With God’s help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes.”  This promise is speaking volumes to me today. I have a hurdle to jump here and my mind is really playing tricks on me. Has that ever happened to you? That’s the evil one. I am relying on this verse today as it is with God’s help that success is possible.

Let’s pray. Lord thank you for all you have given us. I do look forward to the day when your glory will shine all around. I acknowledge you as the one, true God, giver of life and of all that is. Help me today to radiate your glory. I especially need your help to achieve the mighty goals I have set for myself today. Keep the song of praise on my lips all day long. In Jesus’ name. Amen.