Today's Reading: Psalm 92 & 93

Flourishing Like the Palm and Cedar

Have you ever considered the flourishing of the palm or cedar tree? Here in Psalm 92, the Psalmist compares the palm and cedar to the righteous person. He says that this person’s life will flourish in much the same way as the palm tree flourishes and the cedar tree grows.

A palm is a kind of tree that typically grows in tropical regions and has a straight, tall trunk and many large leaves at the top of the trunk. The figure of the palm tree gives us the idea of usefulness. At the time Psalm 92 was written, palm tree dates made up a large part of the diet of the people of Israel, Arabia, Persia, and Egypt. The palm seeds (or ‘stones’) were ground down and used to feed camels; the leaves were made into baskets; the strong fronds were used to make fences; the sap was used to make a drink called arrack; the webbing from the outer layers made ropes and riggings for small boats; the wood was used for small buildings and for firewood. A flourishing palm tree was a useful and desirable blessing.

The cedars of Lebanon are a symbol of majesty, stability, durableness, and incorruptibility. Many cedars are very old and very large – measuring up to 130 feet tall and 70 feet across the limbs. Cedar trees, unlike the palm, have deep and expansive root structures. Cedars can live from 150 to 1,000 years. Cedars work well as windbreaks, helping to protect other trees from strong winds. The hard wood of the cedar was used for construction of buildings which needed strong, stable framing.

Here in Psalm 92, the Psalmist says the “righteous” flourish like the palm and grow like the cedar. This is a picture of the person who is right with God and, as a result, lives a strong, durable, and useful life. The palm illustrates the prosperity and happiness of the righteous person. His/her life will be used by God for many useful purposes in the Kingdom of God. The reference to being planted in the house of the Lord is probably drawn from the Jewish custom of planting palm trees in the courts of temples and palaces – adding beauty and usefulness. God’s people will prosper like palm trees and are planted by Him to bring beauty and usefulness to His church.

The cedar illustrates the strength and durability of God’s righteous person. Like a cedar, their lives are not moved or shaken by the winds of trial and challenge. And like the cedar, their lives provide a place of security and protection for the other “trees” (believers) around them.

To flourish like a palm, and grow like a cedar is God’s plan and purpose for your life. Seek Him first and all these things will be added to you. Follow after His righteous plan, submit to His purpose and you will continue to “bear fruit in old age and be ever full of sap and green” (Psalm 92:14).

 

Today's Reading: Psalm 89

His Unalterable Word

The Lord has a question for you – “Do you think I’d ever withdraw my holy promises? Or take back the words I’ve spoken?  I’ve given my word, my whole and holy word; do you think I would lie to you?” This question is a core and fundamental question we all must answer in our heart-of-hearts. Because, if you know that God would never take back His word or lie to you, then you have a rock-solid foundation upon which to build your life and faith.

In Hebrews 6:18, we are told that “it is impossible for God to lie.” Numbers 23:19 tells us the same core truth, “God is not a man, that he should lie.” And Titus 1:2 tells us, “God, who cannot lie.” These verses tell us a critical truth about God’s unaltering character. He CANNOT lie! This doesn’t simply say that He WILL not lie, but that He CANNOT. Lying is a function that God is incapable of. Unlike human beings, who seem to be born with the ability to lie, God does not have that ability. His very nature is so pure, holy, and filled with light, that it is impossible for Him speak untruth or to alter the words He has spoken. The Lord will never lie to us or mislead us. He will always tell us the truth and stand by the truth He has told us.

What an amazing attribute of God that we rarely consider - the unalterableness of His words. Because of His moral perfection, He has absolute integrity. He never deceives; He never distorts; He never misrepresents what He says or does. Lying is against His nature. And, because God cannot lie, God’s Word, the Bible, is completely trustworthy.  “Every word of God is flawless” (Proverbs 30:5). We can rely fully on the truth of His word and build our lives on something that does not alter.

In verse 34 the Lord says that “I will not violate my covenant.” God has entered into a covenant – a contract with humanity and He will abide by it completely. What is this covenant? It is the promise that God makes with us that He will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him based on our faith in the blood of Christ, the Mediator of the New Covenant. “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people… for I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Rest assured today, follower of Christ, that God will not violate His contract with humanity. Let your faith rest fully on His unalterable word. Place your confidence and trust in the Lord who cannot lie. Build your life on the solid-rock of God’s unchanging word. “All other ground is sinking sand.”

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 8 & Psalm 78:49-72

God's Faithfulness to His Unfaithful People

Psalm 78, written by Asaph, is the second longest Psalm in the Bible (Psalm 119 is the longest). It chronicles the history of Israel’s relationship with Yahweh, the Lord God. In the first section, Asaph recites the miraculous ways in which the Lord had intervened for Israel in the past. In the middle section, he describes Israel’s rebellion against the Lord, which resulted in God becoming furious at their sin and disobedience. Over and over, they rebelled. Over and over God loved them anyway. But they kept on giving Him a hard time, rebelled against God, and refused to do anything He told them. Until the day the Lord got so furious that he walked away from them and left them on their own.

In the final section of the Psalm, we read of the faithful God returning to Israel and restoring their broken relationship with Him. After a period of ignoring Israel, verse 65 tells us that suddenly the Lord “was up on his feet like someone roused from deep sleep.” He returned to Israel and intervened miraculously on their behalf once again. But this time, the Lord makes it clear that things are going to be different, starting with Shiloh, the center of worship for Israel.

Shiloh was a city in the territory of Ephraim just to the west of the Jordan River. This was the place that Joshua had established as the worship center for the nation. Under Joshua, the Tabernacle was set up in Shiloh and remained there for nearly 300 years, until the people defiled it and the city was conquered by the Phillistines, Israel’s fiercest enemy. Sadly, Israel had corrupted this place by their idolatry and pagan worship practices. As a result, the nation no longer had a central location for the spiritual gathering of the people.

When the Lord returns to the people, he disqualifies Shiloh and the tribe of Ephraim, saying that from now on, the worship center for Israel will be at Mount Zion. The Lord chose the territory of Judah instead, and selected Mount Zion, which he loves so much, as the place for His new sanctuary. Verse 69 says, “He built his sanctuary [in Mount Zion] like the high heavens, like the earth, which he has founded forever.” Why did He choose Mount Zion? Verse 68 simply tells us that it is a place that He loves. As He looked down on the Earth He created, He lovingly sets His eye on this place as His favored place. Just as you and I have favorite places we love to go, so does our God – He loves Mount Zion. And to this day, the center of worship for Israel is in Jerusalem situated in God’s favorite place.

All of this demonstrates the faithfulness of God to an unfaithful people. Like a father’s love for His children, the Lord had mercy on His chosen nation. He would not remain angry forever, but – despite their disobedience and rebellion – He returned to them and brought His glory and blessing and holy worship back upon Israel.  In the same way, we often go through times of disobedience and sin in our walk with the Lord. When that happens, we feel distanced from the Lord and our spirit begins to get dry and weary. But our God is faithful even to His unfaithful people and will not allow us to be separated for long. He will awake! He will return to us! He will restore us to a vibrant and growing relationship with Himself.

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 7 & Psalm 78:25-48

Why Don't People Believe?

In Psalm 78, Asaph the Psalmist is reciting some of the awesome things which the Lord has done for the people of Israel. He reminds them of many of the wonders and miracles God performed on their behalf – like parting the Red Sea, leading them with a cloud and fire, cracking open a rock to produce water in the desert, raining down food from heaven, routing their enemies from the Promised Land, and many more. After all of this, why didn’t they believe? Why did they continue to sin and rebel against God?

Why didn't everyone believe in Jesus during His lifetime? He did so many miracles that it seems like everyone would have believed in Him, and yet they didn't. John 12:37 says, “Even after Jesus had performed so many miracles in their presence, they still would not believe in him.” Why not?

Why wouldn’t they believe? For the same reason some people today don’t believe, although they’ve heard the Bible’s message that God loves them, and that Christ died to give them new life, both now and forever. Many have seen the miraculous work of God as He transforms the lives of people, yet they still do not believe. It is a strange paradox found in Scripture – seeing a miracle does not always produce faith.

The problem is inside of us — in the stubbornness of our hearts and wills. We want to run our own lives — and we know that if we yield ourselves to Christ, we can’t keep on living the way we once did.  So, we hold on to our notions and imaginations and false belief systems and we refuse to believe the truth.

In reality, of course, people today come up with all kinds of excuses not to believe in Jesus or yield their lives to Him — just as they did in Asaph’s time and in Jesus’ time. Pride, a favored sin, doubt, peer pressure, fake science - these and countless other excuses keep Jesus out of peoples’ lives. Jesus taught us that, “Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:19-20).

But it doesn’t have to be that way, because He alone offers us lasting hope in the midst of a world of despair and sin. Don’t let these things — or anything else — keep you from Christ. Instead, realize who He is and what He has done for you by His death and resurrection. Then by faith open your heart and life to Him. He wants to do a miracle in your heart and life today! “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 6 & Psalm 78:1-24

Ministering With Song

Everybody has a place within the family of God! Some are called to serve as shepherds of God’s flock. Some are called to be prophets, evangelists, or teachers. Others have gifts of healing and miracles. Still others are called with gifts of service and helps. In today’s reading, we read of those who are called to minister with song. Verse 32 tells us that this group from the tribe of Levi “ministered with song before the tabernacle of the tent of meeting until Solomon built the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, and they performed their service according to their order.”

Music is an amazing gift from God. And those who play and sing unto the Lord are His blessing upon the Church. Music is a “universal language.” It cuts across race, doctrinal differences, politics, and every other thing that divides people. God can us those who minister with song to bring unity, peace, joy, and rejoicing to His people.

Music was there at the beginning of humanity. The first musician is mentioned in Genesis 4:21 –  “His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.” And music will be there at the end, as we read in Revelation 14:3 – “The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps,  and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders.”

King David could be described as the father of music ministry. It all started with the young David and his harp, ministering before Saul who was oppressed by a demon. Later on, David deemed music to be such an important part of our worship, that he set up this full time choir to minister in song at the house of the Lord. And we have been singing to the Lord together ever since!

Today, while debates and contentions regarding the type, method, and approach we take in music ministry rage on, it is certain that the ministry of song is a vital part of our spiritual journey.  We sing as a form of worship. The ministry of music has been established by God as a means of drawing us into His presence. We sing. He sings. The angels sing. What an amazing thing music is! As we minister to God in song, He ministers to our spirt with His peace, joy, and love.

If you have been gifted by God with musical talent (e.g. playing an instrument or singing) then let God use your talent to bless His people. Find a way to become part of the music ministry at your church. God has blessed you so you can be a blessing to others. He has called you to minister with song. For the rest of us, whether you have an excellent voice with perfect pitch doesn’t matter. What matters is that you make a “joyful noise unto the Lord” (Psalm 100:1).

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 5 & Psalm 81

When God's People Won't Listen

God longs for His people to listen to Him. It breaks His heart when they don’t – or worse, won’t. Here in Psalm 81, we are admonished by the Lord to listen to His voice or face unpleasant consequences if we don’t. It is a sad and tragic thing when the very people whom God has chosen, called, and adopted as His own children refuse to listen to Him.

In Psalm 81, the Psalmist Asaph is speaking during one of Israel’s national festivals. During these times, the people assemble to worship God, offer sacrifices to Him, and hear His word. At the beginning of this Psalm, Asaph calls the people to gather and blow the trumpet and sing praises to Yahweh. He reminds them of the great works the Lord has done on their behalf and exhorts them to remain faithful and devoted to Him. As the Psalm progresses, Asaph turns to a discussion of their failure to listen to the Lord and His commands. He declares that God is speaking but the people are not heeding His voice.

This was the great tragedy. God was ready to fill the listening and open hearts of His people, but they would not listen to or obey Him. They had become complacent in their faith and their ears had turned away from God’s voice. He charges the people of Israel with not listening and not submitting to the very God they claim to worship. Their hearts had grown cold. Their faith had lost it’s vigor.

This is why it is so important to keep our hearts tender towards the Lord and our inner-ear always open to His words. As time goes on for some believers, they begin to drift away from a passionate relationship with the Lord – just a little bit at first. Eventually, a little distance from God becomes greater until the point that life has become so entangled with other pursuits and other priorities that they shut out the Lord’s voice altogether. They become stubborn.

When this happens – watch out! Your God will not force His will upon you. If you choose to drift away from Him and become stubborn and stop listening, He will eventually give you over to your stubborn choices. He is so very patient, but there can come a time when He can be patient no longer. That’s what happened to Israel – God “gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” It is a tragic moment when someone forsakes the flawless and powerful counsel of God to walk in their own ways and listen to their own counsel.

So make sure that you are diligent to keep your heart tender and open to Him and His voice. He wants to speak words of peace, grace, wisdom, and faith to you. Listen with your heart turned toward Him and you will hear!

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 4 & Psalm 77

The Prayer of Jabez

Buried amongst the family names and genealogies in 1 Chronicles 4, is this hidden gem of a prayer. If you skim over this chapter, you might miss it as it is only one verse long. It is called the prayer of Jabez, written by a Jewish descendant of Abraham. It is short but powerful. As with many prayers found in the Bible, this prayer provides us with an excellent model we can follow in our own prayer lives.

Little is known of Jabez, other than he was a from the tribe Judah, he was an honorable man, and his mother named him “Jabez” (meaning “sorrowful” or “painful”) because his birth had been notably painful.  Can you imagine naming your child “sorrow” or “pain”? As Jabez prays, he “calls upon the God of Israel” and places five requests or petitions before Him.

First, he requests God’s blessing. Jabez acknowledges that the God of Israel is the source of all blessing, and he asks God to make sure that those blessings fall his way. He longed to be “under the spout where the glory comes out!”  What a great way to begin our petitions before God – Lord, make me the recipient of your blessings.

Second, he asks the Lord to “enlarge his border.” By this request, Jabez is asking the Lord to give him a large territory of both land and influence. As followers of Christ, we should be constantly seeking to increase our influence and our impact on the world around us, Have you had the blessing of serving Christ in ministry? Pray for God’s success on your ministry and that He would enlarge your border to bring greater impact for His kingdom.

Third, he makes sure that God’s hand will be with him. This was Jabez’s way of asking for the guidance of God and His strength to be evident in his daily existence. He wisely realized that he doesn’t need or want a larger territory or ministry unless the Lord is there with him. This is similar to Moses’ prayer in Exodus 33:15, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” A larger ministry is a terrifying thing if God isn’t in it! Pray that the Lord’s hand be with you every step of the way.

Fourth, he prays that God would keep him from harm. Realizing that without the Lord as his Protector and Defender, he risks the peril of harm. But if God is for him and with him, nothing can truly harm him. The Lord promises that “no harm will befall” His children (Psalm 91:10). This doesn’t mean that we are exempt from trials and challenges and injury. It means that whatever we go through with God on our side will not harm our eternal spirit.

Finally, Jabez requests that he, himself, would do no harm. In this final petition, he plays on his name, “Sorrow” or “Pain” and prays that it would not be so. He longs for his life to make a positive influence on others and to ease their pain. So, he says, “Lord don’t let my name become reality.” As followers of Christ, we often come across sensitive situations where doing the wrong thing, or saying the wrong thing, could bring someone else pain or, worse yet, keep them from coming the Christ. We must pray that this is never the case.

 Take a moment and pray this prayer for yourself right now.