Today's Reading: Psalm 29 & 33

Befitting Praise

This Psalm has no title in the Hebrew and it was probably written on no particular occasion, but was intended as a hymn of praise in order to celebrate the power, wisdom, and mercy of God.  The main point of this Psalm is that it is appropriate for the righteous to be praising God for His creative acts and providence.

Verse 1 has been translated in various ways:

• “Praise befits the upright.” (ESV)

• “It is fitting for the upright to praise him” (NIV)

• “Praise from the upright is beautiful.” (NKJV)

• “It is fitting for the pure to praise him.” (NLT)

• “Right-living people sound best when praising.” (MSG)

All of these translations give us the sense that praise from the upright is a beautiful and appropriate thing. Praise is becoming. We sometimes hear the word “becoming” used to describe another person’s appearance. “That jacket is very becoming on you.” “She's had her hair cut in a becoming new style.”  It is a word we use to describe something that fits right and looks remarkably attractive. The Psalmist here is exhorting us to praise God because it is becoming and right and remarkably attractive in the life of the upright.

Praise befits the upright. The Lord is worthy of people’s praise because of his faithfulness, seen in all his righteous works; because of his power, seen in creation and in his powerful word; and because of his sovereign control, seen in the history of world events. Above all, God is worthy of people’s praise because of the salvation he gives to those who fear him. He gives them life, protection and provision. For all these reasons, and thousands more, the upright person’s life should be dressed in praise.

It makes us cringe when we see someone dressed in inappropriate attire. Perhaps it is someone at a formal wedding wearing cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Or someone in the workplace wearing revealing clothing. Or a soldier with his/her uniform wrinkled and messy. We recognize these situations as remarkably inappropriate. They are not befitting. They don’t fit the circumstance. In the same way, when a follower of Christ lives with a sour attitude, with complaining, or with a judgmental attitude, we take note of it as remarkably inappropriate. It is completely out of place when a Christian’s life is clothed with anything but praise. When the Christ-follower enters the room, others should sense a life of praise that is befitting someone whose life has been delivered from darkness and brought into God’s glorious light. Praise befits the upright. Praise from the upright is beautiful and remarkably becoming.

Is it time for you to change your “clothes?” Take off the garments of sadness, complaining, judgment, and dissatisfaction and get dressed in praise. After all, Jesus came to give us “a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)

 

Today's Reading: 1 Chronicles 17

Blessed Forever

After receiving God’s promise that He was going to establish the throne of David and bring forth the eternal Messiah through his descendants, King David went in and sat before the Lord and said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” David was truly humbled by God’s grace to him.  He was deeply blessed that Yahweh – the Lord of the Universe – would have it in His heart to do all these great things on his behalf.

In the prayer that follows, David expresses his deep feelings about God’s greatness, saying “There is none like you, O Lord, and there is no God besides you!” He is genuinely blown away that Yahweh has “made your people Israel to be your people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.” Ultimately, David is astounded that Yahweh would choose him and his descendants to be the recipients of His grace. It is almost unbelievable. But David chooses to accept it by faith.

In verse 27, David expresses his faith in God’s promise by saying, “When you grant a blessing, O Lord, it is an eternal blessing!” In other words, “God said it. That settles it!” His faith-filled heart was able to take God’s words at face value and accept the blessing God was offering. The truth is that, whether or not David accepted it, it was still true because God said so!

You, as a follower of Christ, have been blessed with God’s loving grace. Like David, He says to you that you are blessed forever in Christ. In fact, “He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3)  He chose you and decided to make you holy. He adopted you into His family. He has poured out His great grace upon you. He purchased your freedom and forgave your sins. He has showered his kindness on you, along with all wisdom and understanding. You are blessed forever in Christ.

What can we say to these things? Like David, we must accept them as truth. We are blessed forever because God said so. So, take these amazing blessings of God and live your life knowing that God said it, and that settles it. Sit before the Lord and say, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?” Express your humble thanksgiving that Yahweh – the Lord of the Universe – would have it in His heart to do all these great things on your behalf. What else can you do?

 

Today's Reading: 2 Samuel 7

 

A House For God's Name

David loved Yahweh and wanted to build Him a house. It seemed inequitable to David that he should be living in a large and lovely palace while the worship of God still took place in a tattered old tent. A noble desire for sure. But the Lord had other plans. David would not build God’s house, but the Lord says He will raise up one of David’s descendants to build a house for His name.

This prophetic statement from the Lord has a dual-fulfillment. It speaks first of the physical construction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem – a prophecy that would be later fulfilled literally by “David’s descendant” - his son Solomon. But the building of the physical temple was not of immediate importance to the Lord. God was more concerned that David’s house be firmly established - referring not to his palace but to his dynasty. David would have a line of royal descendants who would rule for generation after generation in Israel. One of these (Solomon) would build God’s earthly house. And One, who would come later, would build God’s eternal house.

This prophecy goes much deeper than just the physical Temple. It has a future spiritual fulfillment. It speaks of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, God’s Son, whose kingdom would be established forever. The Lord had chosen the dynasty of David as the means of bringing the Messiah, the Savior into the world.

The word “forever,” shows very distinctly that this prophecy looks beyond the succession of the kings of the house of David, and embraces the throne of Christ. Years later, when an angel spoke to Mary (Luke 1:31-33), he told her that she would give birth to a Son. She was told to name her Son, Jesus.  “He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” By these words, the angel declared that Jesus is the ultimate spiritual fulfillment of the Lord’s prophetic statement to David.

Jesus would not use wood and stone to build His Father’s house. The “building blocks” of the permanent temple are the souls and spirits of people. People who would come to a saving faith in Jesus and who would be placed within God’s eternal family by the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 3:16, Paul asked, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” He goes on in verse 17 to say “For God’s temple is holy, and YOU are that temple.” The Apostle Peter said the same thing, “You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple.” (1 Peter 2:5)

What an amazing thought – that we are the building blocks of God’s Holy Temple. Think about that! Each of us has been ingeniously placed within the Body of Christ where we make up the holy “house” of Yahweh. We are the “dwelling place” where God’s presence resides for all of eternity. 

Today's Reading: Psalm 25 & 132

Waiting All Day Long

The Psalmist wishes to know God's way, to be taught his path, and to be led into his truth. He cannot discern God’s ways unless God shows it; he cannot learn the path unless God teaches it; and he cannot walk in God's truth unless God leads him. Even then, unless God continues to teach, he shall never fully learn the lessons of his salvation, therefore he adds, "For you I wait all the day long.”

Knowing God’s truth and understanding His paths were so vital to the Psalmist’s survival and spiritual vitality that he was willing to wait all the day long to receive from the Lord.  How long do you persevere in prayer? Are your prayers so fervent and vital that you’re willing to commit your time to them? Too often we miss out on the benefit of their earnest prayers, because we do not persevere in them. 

One thing we must understand is that “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25) The Lord longs to be gracious to you and to lead you into His truth and guide you in His ways. This is His will for your life. But, in order to receive the full blessing of His graciousness, you must be willing to spend time waiting upon Him.

Sometimes, when we think of “waiting,” we often think of passivity or inaction. We wrongly imagine waiting as boredom, sitting idly. Or, we think of it as something unpleasant like waiting in line at the DMV or waiting in traffic on the freeway. But that is not the Bible’s meaning of waiting. Biblical waiting is not passive or boring. Biblical waiting is active and exhilarating.

Biblical waiting involves acknowledging the Lord’s sovereign control of all things and that nothing we are experiencing is outside of His love and care. It involves recognizing our complete dependence upon Him and that only through Him will we experience an infusion of power and strength.  Waiting also involves a degree of silence. We need to pause and simply relax in His presence. “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:26) Let Him speak. Let Him move. Let Him guide.

Biblical waiting also involves surrender of our needless worry and fear. It is a time of turning our eyes off of the issues that trouble us and turning our eyes completely upon the God who loves us. Lay your burdens down. Waiting is actively bringing your burdens to the foot of the cross and laying them down, allowing your loving Father to take them from you.

Take time today to express your dependence by waiting patiently, avoiding worry, living obediently. Seek Him in prayer, expecting him to save as you long for Christ’s final return.  Even if it takes all day long.

 

Today's Reading: Psalm 105

 

Beat a Path to the Lord

The word “seek” means to pursue; search for; try to find. The Hebrew root word means “to beat a path to; to tread or trample with the feet.” The idea here is to make a path by walking over the ground many, many times. Here, the Psalmist urges us to beat a path to the LORD and His presence.

We are exhorted repeatedly in the Bible to SEEK (beat a path to) the Lord...

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near.” (Isaiah 55:6)

“The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.” (Psalm 34:10)

“Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land.” (Zephanaiah 2:3)

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (Lamentations 3:25)

“Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” (Colossians 3:1)

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33)

“Seek, and you will find.” (Matthew 7:7)

“Whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Seeking the Lord is not easy and is not something that happens by itself. We must make a focused and determined effort if we are going to enter His holy presence. We must diligently beat a path to His door. In fact, the Bible tells us, referring to unregenerate man, that there is “no one who seeks after God” (Romans 3:11). The unsaved person doesn’t genuinely seek after God, nor do they have the power to do so. But for the follower of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us the strength and ability to continually pursue the presence of God.

Does your path to the Lord and His presence look like a beaten path that has been trampled down by repeated visits? Or, are there weeds, and bushes, and thorns growing up because the path doesn’t get used very often? Take a moment right now to “beat a path to the Lord and His strength” then make it your daily pursuit to “beat a path to His presence continually” by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today's Reading: Psalms 96, 100, & 101

 Praise From All The Earth

The key idea in Psalm 100 is that praising the Lord does not pertain to one nation only, that it should not be confined to only the Hebrew people, but that there are proper grounds of praise for “all the earth.” David exhorts everyone, everywhere, in all lands, in all nations, of all languages and ethnicities to unite together in making a joyful noise unto the Lord. The basis of this unified praise is that all of humanity has one Creator – He is God and it is He who made us all. Because there is one God and Father of all, the human race can unite as one great family on earth and make a joyful noise together.

Know that the LORD is God. The word “know” in this verse comes from a Hebrew root word which means, “to ascertain; establish; acknowledge.” It is vital that our hearts are firmly established in the truth that Yahweh is the Creator. There is no other god. There is no other creator. There is no other means by which our world came into existence than by the creative work of God. "The earth is the Lord's, the fullness thereof; and all they that dwell therein" (Psalms 24:1).  It is He who made us, therefore we must look to Him as the Benefactor and Giver of all life. Make a joyful noise to Him!

We are His. Oh, what joy it brings to know that our Maker claims us as His own. In spite of humanity’s rebellion against Him and our persistent denial of His laws and His ways, He has never – and will never – deny us. We belong to Him. He made us and gave us a fabulous living environment because He loves us. Then, because He loved us so much, He sent His Only Begotten Son to die for us and redeem us from the hands of Satan who tried to take us out of His hands. But we are Yahweh’s people. He made us, He bought us, He held on to us, we are His. Make a joyful noise to Him!

We are the sheep of His pasture. We have been blessed to be under the care of the Good Shepherd. As His sheep, we’re breathing God's air. We’re drinking God's water. We’re eating God's food. We’re burning God's oil. We’re heating our homes with God's gas. We’re eating God's cattle, God's fish, God’s grain and God’s produce. "The earth is the Lord's." We are actually just grazing in His field. Everything that we have, everything that we see, everything that we're surrounded with belongs to our good God. As His sheep, our lives have purpose, provision, protection, and direction. Make a joyful noise to Him!

The only reasonable conclusions we can draw from God’s amazing Lordship over our world and over our lives is that all the people of the earth should: “Serve Him with gladness” (V2); “Come into His presence with singing!” (V2); “Enter His gates with thanksgiving” (V4); “Give thanks to Him” (V4); and “Bless His name!” (V4).

Today's Reading: Psalm 23 & 24

Yahweh My Shepherd

For thousands of years, authors have tried to outdo one another in describing the popularity, beauty, and delight of this little Psalm. It is described as perhaps the most popular chapter of all the Psalms. There is little I can do to add to their eloquent words in describing the depth of the riches of this Psalm.

Psalm 23 describes our relationship with God from a sheep’s point of view. David, of course had grown up as a shepherd on the hills of Bethlehem. He knew what it meant to be a shepherd. And as he has grown into a deeper and deeper relationship with Yahweh, he has also come to know what it means to be a sheep in God’s flock. David declares here with great confidence that, since the Lord is his Shepherd, his life has purpose, provision, protection, and direction.

Since the LORD is my Shepherd, my life has purpose. Human beings are not just the products of “the fortunate occurrence of accidental circumstances” with no purpose or meaning to our existence. Our lives have the deep and meaningful purpose found in our relationship with our Creator – the Good Shepherd. We were created to find our purpose in Christ, and by following Him, our deep craving for meaning is satisfied.  No matter what you do in life, what career you pursue, or what you are working towards, your purpose is to grow and mature in Him.

Since the LORD is my Shepherd, my life has provision. He promises that we will “not want.” The word “want” means to lack or have scarcity. The priority of any true shepherd is to make sure that the flock is well fed and watered. Our Shepherd assures us that “those who seek the LORD lack no good thing” in this world (Psalm 34:10). This doesn’t mean that our every want and desire will be satisfied, but that God knows our needs and promises that He shall “supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

Since the LORD is my Shepherd, my life has protection. Sheep under the care of a good shepherd have no fear of predators. They can “lie down in green pastures” and drink from the “still waters” because they have come to know that their shepherd is watching over them.  Sheep without a shepherd have no defense against predators. Their only hope of survival is to huddle with other sheep and hope for the best. Not so those with a shepherd. He diligently watches over them and wards off enemies with his rod and staff.

Since the LORD is my Shepherd, my life has direction. We are moving through this world with a “destination” in mind.  Our Good Shepherd leads us beside the still waters – where we can drink the refreshment of the Holy Spirit. He also leads us in paths of righteousness so our lives are pleasing to Him. And ultimately, He will lead us to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” where He has prepared a table for us in the presence of our enemies.

Every heart craves security and purpose, protection and direction, and these desires are fulfilled for those who can truthfully say, “The Lord is my Shepherd.”