July 1
Psalms 84
“…blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.”
The Hebrew word translated “blessed” was translated “happy” eighteen times in your Bible. We sing a song that says, “Happiness is to know the Savior…happiness is the Lord.” Amen! True happiness is not found in things, in material goods or in wealth. All of these “perish with the using.” (Colossians 2:22) An interesting read is the Book of Ecclesiastes in which Solomon withheld nothing from himself that was considered by most to bring happiness. Instead, all he found was vexation and vanity. In the last chapter he came to the conclusion, “Fear God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.” Solomon found that the only true source of happiness in the world, of being “blessed,” is in a right relationship with God. That relationship is made possible by our trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Today, just look around at what people are seeking in order to be happy. You will find that the majority are trusting in things that can never bring lasting happiness. That is only possible through the Lord Jesus. Take time to praise Him today for knowing what it means to be truly blessed because of your faith in His power, in His provisions and in His promises. Amen!
July 2
Psalms 85
“Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?”
There are some things implied in this one verse that are worthy of note. We sing the song that says, “O, Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee.” This verse makes clear that revival comes from the Holy Spirit, not from ourselves. The “again” implies that revival is not a one-time proposition, but something that is needed over and over. This verse lets us know where the “revival” is needed, it is needed among God’s people. Revival, therefore, is less an evangelistic movement, and more a movement of God’s Spirit among His people. This prayer makes clear that revival will only come when God’s people truly seek it, “Wilt thou not revive us again…?” Finally, the verse lets us know that when God’s people are right with Him, when they are “revived,” they can rejoice. It is then that their hearts are capable of truly rejoicing in their salvation, in their relationship with God.
The word translated “revival” carries the idea of life, and a restoring to health. As believers, it is certainly easy for us to grow cold on God, to allow things into our lives that rob us of our communion with God and the blessings of God. We dwell in sinful flesh, flesh that is yet to be redeemed. (Romans 8:23) For this reason, this verse in Psalms 85 should always be upon our hearts and lips; “Wilt thou not revive us again…?” Amen! So be it!
July 3
Psalms 86
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
Take time to praise the Lord for this truth today. He is good, good in every way. He is good in His dealings with humanity, even humanity that despises and blasphemes His holy name. He still lets them live on His earth, breath His air and enjoy His bounty. The greatest display of His goodness is shown to those whom come to Him in faith, repentantly and calling upon Him for forgiveness. “Every good gift and perfect gift cometh from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17) God’s goodness is extended to all, and could be fully appreciated and enjoyed by all if they would but place faith in Him.
God is good, and He is ready to forgive and pardon. Beloved, if there is something in your life which you know is inconsistent with your position in Christ, if there is something that has hindered your fellowship with the Father in heaven, confess this before Him. He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Don’t spend another miserable moment estranged from the God in heaven you love. Call upon Him. Repent and seek His face. He is plenteous in mercy unto all that call upon Him. And, if you are reading these words and you have never called upon the Savior for His salvation, do so today. Do so this very moment. He will save, cleanse and forgive you of all sins and come into your heart today. He is good. He is ready to forgive. Just call upon Him. Lord Jesus, bless all who read these words today, and grant unto them Your goodness. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
July 4
Psalms 87
“…all my springs are in thee.”
Note Charles Spurgeon’s thoughts on this phrase: “The springs of my faith and all my graces; the springs of my life and all my pleasures; the springs of my activity and all its right doings; the springs of my hope, and all its heavenly anticipations, all lie in thee, my Lord. Without thy Spirit I should be as a dry well, a mocking cistern, destitute of power to bless myself or others. O Lord, I am assured that I belong to the regenerate whose life is in thee, for I feel that I cannot live without thee; therefore, with all thy joyful people will I sing thy praises.”
We live in a land of plentiful water, but imagine living in a place where springs of water are scarce and far between. Imagine a place where water is the greatest commodity available, and understand that a spring of water is of great value. The greatest need for humanity is not a natural spring of water, but the Spring of all spiritual blessings. Jesus told the woman of Samaria, “…whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
Our world is literally a barren, desolate wasteland spiritually. Souls around us are perishing of spiritual thirst. Praise the Lord today for the spiritual oasis, the fountain of life that you found when the Lord Jesus drew you to Himself. Like the Psalmist we can sing forth His praises saying, “…all my springs are in thee.” Amen!
July 5
Psalms 88
I have always believed that there is something in God’s Word for all in every situation in life. This is especially seen in the Psalms. Some of the Psalms are full of excitement, joy and exultation. Others are deep, spiritual reflections of worshipful adoration of the Almighty. Some of the Psalms were sung with such enthusiasm that souls were lifted up in spiritual jubilation. This Psalm is not of that sort.
Life can be troublesome, burdens heavy to bear and bring times that songs of joy seem almost non-existent. We cannot pretend that these days do not exist, nor can we think that they are only for the disobedient and backslidden of God’s children. What are we to do when these times come? We are to cry night and day before our Lord, to pray and to speak to Him of our troubles. We are to stretch out our hands to our Father in heaven, trusting Him to meet our needs by His power and grace. The mornings should find us in His blessed throne room, pouring our our soul to Him.
Beloved, allow your difficult times, your days of trouble to drive you to God, not from Him. Keep looking to Him until He parts your Red Sea, or until He floods the dry valleys of your soul with plenteous waters from the Rock of your salvation. He can still multiply the loaves and fishes of your scarcity, and He can hold your hand and pull you to safety when it feels as if the floods of insecurity will draw you under. If you find yourself in those days right now, hold to Him. Keep looking up! He only seems to be silent and unconcerned. You are still most precious to Him, and He longs to lift you from your present state and restore to you His joy and peace.
July 6
Psalms 89
We have heard the joyful sound,
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Spread the tidings all around,
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
Bear the news to every land,
Climb the steeps and cross the waves.
Onward tis our Lord’s command,
Jesus saves, Jesus saves.
“Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound….” They haven’t only heard it, they “know “ it. They know it for they have been brought to an understanding of it, and have trusted in the truth of its message. Now, as the song says, it is our task to have others hear that “joyful sound.” Pray about that today. Pray about your church’s outreach, and of your opportunities to personally tell others of the joyful sound that Jesus saves! Amen!
July 7
Psalms 90
Home is a place of comfort and peace. At least it should be. I pity poor souls whose home is filled with conflict, anger and constant fussing and screaming. My home is not that way, and I’m sure much of that has to do with my precious wife. Ours is a place where we are always glad to come back to. Even on our vacations, we often are thinking about what is going on at Tightrun. What are the animals doing? How does the house look? And, when we return even after only a few days, we walk around the house, soaking in the smells and scenes. We are always glad to be back home. Its where we belong.
This psalm was written by Moses, and undoubtedly while he was journeying through the wilderness with the children of Israel. He, like all the others, was dwelling in a tent that had to be continually taken down and reassembled. I suppose even that became a welcome place, especially late in the evenings when it was time to rest. In my mind, I can see Moses trying to get comfortable in his home away from home, in his makeshift dwelling, meditating on the Lord and His goodness. Perhaps while thinking on that, the man of God wrote these words, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.” What a blessed thought! Wherever we find ourselves, in any circumstance or situation, the Lord is with us, and we can rest in Him. He is our place of comfort and peace, our place of belonging. All unpleasantries are made more pleasant when we allow Him to draw nigh to us, and like the Apostle John, we can rest our weary heads upon Him. Thank you, Lord, for being my dwelling place. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!
July 8
Psalms 91
I’ve been hobbling around on crutches now for almost three weeks. Coming down off a step ladder, I tore my achilles tendon when the toe of my boot caught on a ledge. Jokingly I told Lynn the other day, “When I see my guarding angels I’m going to ask them, Were you not suppose to lift me up lest I dash my foot on a stone and tear my tendon? Where were you when I needed you?” Her reply to that was, “They probably allowed that to keep you from breaking your neck instead.” We had a good laugh.
In yesterday’s devotion, we looked at the Lord being our dwelling place, and He certainly is that. Along with that, He is ever ready to “cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings.” He is our “refuge” and our “habitation.” Praise God! Beloved, they that have trusted in Christ enjoy the presence and power of God continually. Even when they don’t realize it, His eye is upon them and He is their “shield and buckler.” Does that mean that we will never have a torn achilles tendon, or some other painful, aggravating thing happen to us? No, but it does mean that nothing will befall us outside His will. It does mean that everything that comes our way will be for our good and His ultimate glory. (Romans 8:28) Our duty is to set our love upon Him (Vs. 14), and our blessed Lord will take care of everything else. Amen!
July 9
Psalms 92
Look carefully at some words in this psalm; “planted,” (Vs. 13) “flourish,” “fat and flourishing.” (Vs. 14) Now, read Verses 13 - 15 again. The psalmist is using a metaphor of a plant in picturing the spiritual condition of those individuals that maintain certain disciplines in their lives as followers of Jesus Christ. They determine they are going to be “planted” in the “house of the Lord.” To be planted speaks of being settled in and consistently faithful to the Lord’s house. In so doing, “They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.”
The fact is, beloved, believers need the house of God. They need the mutual strength gained from fellowship with other believers. The Lord promised that when believers are gathered in His Name, He would be there with them “in the midst.” (Matthew 18:20) We desperately need that! We need to join in with other believers in the worship of our Lord, in the singing of His songs of praise and in the hearing of the preaching and explaining of His Word. The Lord designed us that way, and nothing can ever take the place of the Lord’s house for God’s people.
Now know this, believers don’t have to be faithful to church, and many are not. But they who long to be fruitful, who long to be spiritually “fat and flourishing,” will be “planted in the house of the Lord.” They will dig down deep and take root in the church. And, they will continue to do so throughout their Christian lives in order that in old age they will still bring forth fruit for the glory of their God. (John 15:8) May the Lord help us to be planted and deeply rooted in the church! Amen!
July 10
Psalms 93-94
“He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see.”
The wicked deceive themselves in thinking that they will never answer for their sins. They convince themselves either that there is no God, or if there is, He is such a God of love that He will never bring up their sins against Him. Their deception is self-deception, and that is the worse kind.
Does God hear the blasphemies of the vile? Does He see their ungodliness? If He does, and He surely does, does God care about such things? O, yes, my friend, the Lord does see, He is aware and He is not winking at such things. His silence and His longsuffering patience should not be misunderstood. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, but He is not so loving and kind that He will overlook man’s immorality, his unbelief or his lack of reverence toward his Creator. God hears and He sees.
He that planted the ear and formed the eye has all power, all wisdom and He sees and knows all. The Lord Jesus taught that every action, word and thought would be brought out in the judgment. This is possible for He knows all. This is a dreadful thought, but it can also be a blessed one. The One Who hears and sees all ever has His ears open to your cries, and His eyes open to your needs. Praise the Lord! As a child of God through faith, you are never out of His sight, and you will never be out of His care.
For the unsaved, the above noted verse should bring dread and fear. For the saved, it should bring comfort and joy. O, what a difference Jesus makes in the hearts of those who trust in Him as Savior! Amen!
July 11
Psalms 95
“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.”
When God created mankind, He instilled in His creation certain needs that must be met in order to live and thrive. We require sustenance; food and water. God created us with a need for companionship of friends and family. Without shelter we could not make it long in this world. These needs must be met.
There is another need God created within every person, that is the need for worship. None will ever know fullness or completion until they have truly experienced worship, and that being the worship of the one true God that created us. That worship is only possible for those who have been brought into a right relationship with their Creator through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you recall the words of the Lord Jesus to the woman of Samaria? He informed her that the Father seeks for those who will worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Have you worshiped Him today? If not, a very important part of your day and need in your life is missing. O come, let us worship and bow down! He is certainly worthy, and you need this today. Amen!
July 12
Psalms 96
“Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.”
In yesterday’s devotion we saw the need we all have to worship the Lord. There is another need built into every born again believer; that is of being a witness, of sharing faith with others around us. Of course, this is something our adversary is against, and for that reason the majority of those around us would prefer that we keep our faith to ourselves. We actually cannot do that. Our Lord has challenged and charged all believers to be witnesses of His saving grace.
We actually do that several ways. One way that you can share your faith with others around you is to simply to live out your faith. Allow your faith to govern your life, your actions and words. Just that in itself is a witness to others. It will not take long for your peers to notice that there is something definitely different about you. That might even be brought up in conversation, which provides an opportunity to take the declaration of faith to the next level. “You are obviously different. What is the difference?” What an opening to share what the Lord Jesus has done in your life! It is then that you can tell that friend that you placed your faith in Christ and that He has done wonderful things in your life.
Why would the Lord want us to “declare His glory among the heathen?” Because that is the way that the unsaved can be brought to saving faith. It is His desire that sinners be saved. Therefore, He calls upon His own to share with them what a wonderful Savior and Friend He really is. That’s how the Christian faith is spread, beloved. It’s through the testimony and witness of those who have been saved. So, let’s look for opportunities to “declare His glory among the heathen.” Amen!
July 13
Psalms 97
“Ye that love the Lord, hate evil….”
Paul wrote the following words concerning the man Moses, “Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season….” According to this, there are “pleasures of sin,” but they are only seasonal, or temporary. Job 20:5 agrees with this, saying, “…the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment.” Sin appeals to flesh, and flesh enjoys sin, but that enjoyment is not permanent.
What then should be the attitude of the follower of Christ concerning sin? The Psalmist wrote, “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.” We must hate that which has wrought so much misery on the human race. Just look around you, child of God, and know that every hardship, every instance of human suffering and all of the woes on this cursed earth is the direct result of sin. Should we not despise with a perfect hatred that which caused the suffering and death of our Savior on the Cross? The very fact that evil separates from a Thrice Holy, Loving God should cause us to respond to evil with pure hatred.
Now, know this; evil is to be hated, but not the doers of evil. We are to hate sin, not sinners. We must remind ourselves that God so loved the world that He devised the plan of salvation that demanded the offering of His Son on Calvary.
Beloved, the next time you read or hear the news of some tragic injustice, some horrible crime committed or some terrible suffering being endured, just remember that this was ultimately caused by sin. Directly or indirectly, evil brought that difficulty into being. The next time you hear of an untimely death, a horrible diagnosis or unthinkable wrong committed, just know that such things would never have been introduced to the human family were it not for sin. Never toy with sin, and do not wink at wickedness. Hate it! And hate all that it has done to God’s creation. Let’s ask the Lord to ever make evil extremely distasteful and disgusting. It’s never to be glorified, made light of or tolerated in our lives. “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil….” Amen!
July 14
Psalms 98
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.”
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Refrain
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to thee:
How great thou art! How great thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees,
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
Refrain
And when I think that God, his Son not sparing,
Sent him to die, I scarce can take it in,
That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.
Refrain
When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then *I shall bow in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, “My God, how great thou art!”
Refrain
July 15
Psalms 99
“…thou was a God that forgavest….”
Think on this just a moment, child God. In one of our last devotional thoughts we were encouraged to hate evil. Of a certainty God does. He hates sin and what it has done to His creation, but God loves the world. And, as we read in this Psalm, He is a forgiving God. The context of the verse speaks of His dealings with Israel. How many times in Scripture do we read that God forgave them of their trespasses, and restored them to a place of blessing? Our Lord is a forgiving, merciful Heavenly Father.
One of the sayings of the Lord Jesus from Calvary was, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” What a gracious Savior! And, what a loving Father that He would grant forgiveness to such atrocious sins.
I once tried to reason with a young man about his need for Christ. He continually said, “The Lord could never forgive me for what I’ve done.” He was wrong! God could and would have forgiven that young man through the Lord Jesus Christ. There is only one unpardonable sin found in Scripture, and that is the rejection of the message of the Holy Spirit concerning the Person and Work of Christ. To reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, which is the ministry and message or the Holy Spirit to the world, is the unpardonable sin. Praise the Lord that there is pardon and forgiveness for all other sin! Our God is a forgiving God! Amen!
If you, my friend, are reading these words, and have been convinced that God would never forgive you of your sin, you are wrong! Seek that forgiveness through the Lord Jesus Christ, through His death on the Cross and His glorious resurrection, and you will find that pardon you need. Isaiah wrote the following words, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7) Praise God for this glorious truth!
July 16
Psalms 100
“…we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
You can say that, child of God! Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (John 10:27-29) The day you heard His voice in your heart calling you to Himself, and you responded to that call by faith, you became one of His “sheep,” and He your Shepherd.
What a blessed place of security and safety! Because He is your Shepherd, you will never want for any good thing. (Psalms 23:1) You will never lack for direction in your life, for the Shepherd will lead you. (Psalms 23:2,4) You are in His hand, and nothing can separate you from His love and care. Praise the Lord! Our responsibility is to keep our eyes upon our Shepherd, follow Him and do His bidding. He will take care of everything else!
July 17
Psalms 101
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes….”
There is a Proverb that goes along with this Psalm. It is found in Proverbs 4:25-27; “Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.” Many temptations for the child of God could be avoided by simply looking the other way, or not looking at all. The Psalmist’s resolve was simple, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes….”
Eve “saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desired to make one wise,” and that extended look was all it took to introduce sin into the human family. King David took too long a over his balcony and the result was catastrophic. We read of wise counsel in Job 31:1 where a covenant is made with the eyes, a covenant to insure that they are ever looking upon that which is just and right in the eyes of the Lord.
This is not an easy thing to do in our day when so many temptations are designed to appeal to one’s eyes, but it is possible. One way to accomplish this is to ever keep your eyes upon the Lord. If we keep our eyes upon Him, He will never direct us in a way that we will be contemplating things that are not in keeping with His will and with his holiness. Let’s take this advice and counsel and make it our goal to turn our eyes away from those things that war against our souls. Let’s just keep our eyes upon Him! Amen!
July 18
Psalms 102
“…But thou art this same….”
This is a Psalm of affliction and suffering. The Psalmist spoke of being in trouble, of difficult days when the heart felt smitten and “withered like grass.” The trial was so severe that bread was forgotten and life felt rather hopeless. There was something, however, that gave the Psalmist hope and seemed to pull him out of his depression. It was the fact that while everything around him seemed to be changing for the worse, the Lord never changes; “…thou art the same.”
Our circumstances are ever changing; some for the better, some not so. I am witnessing changes in our world, in our country, that I am against. I don’t like these changes, and if I could I would stop them. But I cannot! This thought gives me great hope and joy; our Lord never changes. He is the same yesterday and forever. He is consistent and steadfast at all times. His opinions never change. His love never changes. His Word never changes. I can always count on the Lord to be the same tomorrow as He was ten thousand yesterdays ago. These truths “shall be written for the generation to come,” and regardless of the changes that will surely come in our world, our Lord will forever be the same.
Not too long ago we were told that eggs were bad for us, that margarin was the way to go and that sugar needed to be replaced by artificial sweeteners. Now all of that advice has been thrown out the window. Many are crying “electric cars, electric cars” while others are bemoaning the devastation to our environment caused by the production of lithium batteries. Everything is changing daily, but not the Lord, His Word, His plan and His promises are forever the same. Honestly, we don’t have much security to stand upon outside the Lord, but we surely can rest upon Him Who never changes. Amen!
July 19
Psalms 103
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgression from us.”
Unresolved guilt in one’s life can and does have a very negative impact on mental and physical wellbeing. It can lead to depression, feelings of low self-esteem, thoughts of self harm and a myriad of other negative and hurtful issues. Psychologists tell us that we can use guilt in a positive way to change our behavior, to right wrong actions and attitudes in our lives that cause guilt. But, beloved, that really doesn’t deal with the issues in our lives that caused the guilt to begin with. How do we rid ourselves of the guilt we feel in our hearts over wrongs we have done in our past?
That’s where the message in this Psalm comes into play. “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” That mercy is extended to all through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who took all of our wrongs and the sins we have committed and died on the Cross in our stead. Paul wrote that it is through Him “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Because of His sacrifice for us, and His abundant mercy, we have forgiveness of sins and the removal of the guilt associated with mistakes of our past.
There is a north pole and a south pole. Had the Lord said that our sins have been removed as far as the north is from the south, that could have been measured right down to the inch. That’s not true when it comes to the east and the west. Head out west from the east, and you will never reach the end of the west. Turn back to the east and you will never reach the place where your eastward trek becomes westward. In other words, your sins have been removed from you as far as eternity past is from eternity future. “You ask me why I’m happy, so I’ll just tell you why; Because, my sins are gone.” That’s a happy song with a happy message! My sins are gone, and so is my guilt! Praise God for this glorious thought!
July 20
Psalms 104
“…the earth is full of thy riches.”
The bounty of our God is truly beyond comprehension. Look through this Psalm at all the provisions that He has made for the animal kingdom and for humanity. The language is picturesque and poetic. The psalmist to truly magnified God for the wonders of his bounty.
Think of your own life at the times that God has provided for you. In fact, He has given us more than we could even ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20) In another Psalm, we read the psalmist saying “I have been young, and now am old; yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” (Psalms 37:25) The apostle Paul informs us that our God will provide all of our need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Our Savior reminded us of God’s bounty toward us when he said, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?“ (Matthew 6:25-26) Let’s remember these precious truths and promises given us in the Word of God the next time we face what we perceive to be an unmet need in our lives. As the old song says, “In one way or another, our Lord will provide.”
July 21
Psalms 105
“He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.“
The word covenant in the above verse speaks of a contract, of a pledge made by God to man. The first time that the word covenant is found was an agreement that God made with the man Noah just before the flood. God revealed to Noah that the earth would be destroyed by the waters of the flood, but that he and his family would be protected, protection that was guaranteed by the pledge or covenant that God made to the patriarch. Here in Psalms 105 we read of the covenant that God made with Israel, a covenant that He promised to remember, and that He had commanded to a to a thousand generations.
One of the blessed truths emphasized in the word of God is the faithfulness of God to all covenants that He has made. As a child of God, you have been made a beneficiary of God‘s covenant to humanity through the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wrote in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever, shall call upon the name of the lord, shall be saved.” That is covenant that God made with humanity, a covenant to which He has been most faithful. You that are saved today have been made recipients of the blessings of God’s faithfulness to His promises. Praise His Name for remembering His covenant forever!
July 22
Psalms 106
You have just read centuries of Israel’s history as recorded in this Psalm; from the deliverance from Egypt to the captivity. This Psalm was a reminder of God’s goodness, His mercy and even His judgments brought upon Israel for their disobedience. Such Psalms were designed as reminders and as challenges to God’s people to learn from the mistakes of others that had lived before them. In fact, that is why this Psalm was recorded and placed in the canon of Scripture; in order that we might glean from the successes and failures of those who have lived before us. Paul said it this way, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11)
We must constantly be reminded of Scriptural truths because of the tendencies of our own flesh. Like Israel, and like the song we sing says, we are “prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” Consistently feeding on God’s Word will help us to avoid mistakes in our lives that would rob us of our joy in Christ. May the Lord keep us in His Word and in His will! Amen!
July 23
Psalms 107
“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!”
These blessed thoughts are repeated four times in this Psalm. (Vs. 8,15,21,31) This was the repeated refrain in this song of praise to God for His faithfulness to His own. It is an acknowledgment of God’s goodness, and the need for men to praise the Lord for that goodness and the wonderful works He has done toward the children of men.
There is another repeated thought in the Psalms; “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.” This can certainly be found in God’s dealings with Israel. His ear was ever open to their cry and He was ready to forgive their wrongs and heal their land.
God is good, beloved. He is gracious and merciful, and ever attentive to the cries of His own, even if those cries have been caused by their own shortcomings. The Psalms ends with an important message; “Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.” Contemplate on this today. Amen!
July 24
Psalms 108
“Moab is my washpot….”
This is really going to sound deep, but a washpot was a pot for washing. If used for the washing of feet, all of the dirt and grime from the feet ended up in the washpot to be thrown out. If used for the washing of clothes, the same was true. Whatever needed washing, the lowly vessel called the washpot came into play. You probably wouldn’t want to drink water out of the washpot, or use it for cooking part of your meal, because it was a washpot.
The Moabites were descendants of Lot, and came into being in a most bizarre and vile way. (Genesis 19:30-38) They were most always subject to Israel, but interestingly enough God used them at times to chasten the Children of Israel for their sinful ways. They were perpetual enemies of Israel, sometimes defeating them and bringing them into servitude and suffering. See Judges 3:12. The Lord used Moab at times as Israel’s washpot in order to cleanse them from sinful departures from the will of God. “Moab is my washpot….”
Beloved, God has washpots to this very day. His desire for His children is that they walk in obedience to Him, in holiness and purity. When they allow themselves to get sidetracked, which all do at times, the Lord just heats up the water in the washpot and begins the cleansing process. See Hebrews 12:3-17. Thank God for a loving Heavenly Father Who cares enough for His own to insure that they stay clean from the muck and filth of the world. For that purpose He will always have His “Moabs,” His “washpots.”
July 25
Psalms 109
This Psalm is one identified by theologians as an imprecatory psalm, one that calls upon God to deal harshly in judgment toward those who declare themselves enemies of God, His people and His cause in the world. There have always been such enemies to God and right, and there are certainly those in our world today. The mouths of the wicked are continually speaking against truth, and against those who endeavor to walk in truth. These are continually rewarding evil for good, showing no mercy and persecuting the poor and needy man. For these the Psalmist prayed down Divine judgment in the imprecatory psalms.
Now, beloved, during the dispensation of grace, unlike during the days of the law, we are to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you….” (Matthew 5:44) However, there is a principle in the imprecatory psalms that should be applied in our lives as followers of Christ. The psalmist was turning his adversaries over to God, allowing God to handle such matters rather than handling them himself. This is something we should learn from this type psalm. I really don’t think we should be praying that the Lord would shorten our adversaries days, making his or her children orphans. Nor do I think we should pray that they should become the prey of extortioners, losing all of the worldly possessions and riches in the process. But we should be allowing the Lord to handle all such matters concerning those who “despitefully use us” and mistreat us simply because of our faith. “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)
July 26
Psalms 110
Compare this Psalms with the following passages: Matthew 22:42-46; Mark 12:35-37; Luke 22:41; Acts 2:41; Ephesians 1:20-22; Psalms 2:6-9; 45:6-7; Hebrews 1:13; 10:12-13. It becomes clearly obvious that this Psalm is a prophetic one, and that it identifies Jesus as the Christ, and the fulfillment of this wonderful prophecy.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Anointed One, the Messiah, and He has been exalted at the right hand of God in heaven. He is coming to this earth again and He will set up His kingdom and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In that day all of His enemies will be made His footstool and He shall rule with the rod of His strength out of Zion. Praise God for the hope that fills our hearts for that coming day! Amen!
July 27
Psalms 111
Several years ago, while reading Psalms 111, I wrote down the words of this song we have done at the church several times.
My Heart Needs To Praise Him
Psalms 111
Chorus:
My heart seeks to praise Him,
My heart longs to praise Him.
My heart needs to praise Him,
Jesus, O Jesus, my Lord.
His works are so great,
And His glories abound.
Blessings bestowed on His own.
In His Word these truths
Of His grace may be found,
All the love to His dear ones are shown.
Chorus:
His commandments are sure,
And His promises strong.
They stand fast forever I know.
I cling to them ever,
For to Him I belong.
They lead me wherever I go.
Chorus:
Bridge:
When the days are weary,
And the nights seem so long,
He still is my joy,
And the theme of my song.
I will lift up my voice,
And I'll praise Him as long as I live.
Chorus:
My heart seeks to praise Him,
My heart longs to praise Him.
My heart needs to praise Him,
Jesus, O Jesus, my Lord.
Jesus, O Jesus, my Lord
As believers, we do need to praise Him! May He ever help us to do so!
July 28
Psalms 112
“…he will guide his affairs with discretion.”
Much is said in this psalm about that person that “feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.” The Lord and His Word definitely makes a difference in a person’s life, and certainly should color ever aspect of that person’s life in such a way as to reflect that difference.
I especially like the emphasis placed in the last half of Verse 5; “…he will guide his affairs with discretion.” Sound judgment based upon Biblical principle should forever guide the affairs of the follower of Jesus Christ. The world may not agree with the Biblical definition of “discretion,” but that is really irrelevant. What matters is what the Lord thinks of the execution of our actions, the projection of our thoughts and the presentation of our lives as Christians. The believer’s motives and actions should not be influenced by the world’s opinions or philosophy, regardless of how widely accepted these may be. One thing is for sure, child of God, if we will diligently follow our Shepherd, our Lord, all of our affairs will be guided with discretion, for He will never lead us in the paths of the world’s counsel. Earnestly pray that the Holy Spirit will ever lead you to that place of discretion when it comes to the affairs fo this life. Amen!
July 29
Psalms 113
“He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.”
More than 63 million babies have been killed in this country alone since 1973. More than 63 million times women have chosen not to be mothers for various reasons, and in so doing became partners with heartless doctors to end those unwanted pregnancies, those unwanted lives. How many women have longed to have children, but could not during that same era of time? One God knows the answer to that question.
May I make a spiritual application to Verse 9 of this Psalm? In Isaiah 8 we read, “…for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.” (Isaiah 66:8) One of the most natural and most blessed conditions that a church can find itself in is the bringing forth of spiritual children, the salvation of the unsaved. In applying this verse to that truth, we acknowledge that it is ever God that “giveth the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7). We continue to sow the seed, seeking God’s Holy Spirit for the drawing of souls to the Savior, but it is our Lord that “giveth the increase.” Having said that, I would like to encourage us as a church body to consider Psalms 113:9, pleading with the Lord to ever make us to be the “joyful mother of children.” May He ever bless us that we might be kept from being “barren” when it comes to spiritual births in the house of God. Amen!
July 30
Psalms 114
“The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back.”
This is just two of the many miracles God worked for the benefit of His chosen people, Israel. Some reject the miraculous, or endeavor to minimize the mighty works of God found in the Bible, attributing the miracles of Scripture to mere exaggerations of those that claimed belief in God. Of course, we reject this liberal, modernistic view of God and His Word, accepting fully every revelation given us in the Bible.
What is a miracle? It is an act of God that is beyond the power and ability of mortal man, something done that is only possible by the omnipotent, Almighty God. From the creation of the universe to the sustaining of all life on this planet, from the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to the regeneration of a sinner through faith in the Savior, Scripture is filled with the miraculous power of our God. And, without question, we accept and believe the miracles of God’s Holy Word. We are in total agreement with the Scripture that declares, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) As our song says, “I believe in miracles, for I believe in God.” Amen!
July 31
Psalms 115
“Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.”
Think about this verse just for a moment. “Ye,” that is “You that have professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the believe in Him and His Word. This is not a promise made to all mankind, but to those who trust in Him.
“Ye are blessed,” meaning you have been given His favor, brought to the place of being His benefactors, the objects of His love and grace. You have been blessed with His wonderful salvation and with the promise of His eternal care. His eye is ever upon you, and His ear open to your cry. He guides your life and protects you from all those would do you harm. Praise His Name!
“Ye are blessed of the Lord which made heaven and earth.” Think of that! He that made the universe, that spoke all into being by the Word of His infinite power, that has wisdom and might, is He that has promised to bless you! You are blessed by the One Who truly has the wherewithal to bless you beyond measure. You are blessed in knowing Him, and in being known by Him. You are blessed by His ever abiding presence, and His gracious and never changing love. You are blessed by His promises that are as sure as His own holy Person, blessed far beyond what any supposed earthly blessing could bestow. You are blessed eternally! Praise God His blessings know no end!
Remember this, child of God, regardless of whatever you may be called upon to face in this life, you are blessed of the Lord. Money can’t buy those blessings, and nothing can take them away. The wealthiest person in all the world walks in spiritual poverty who knows not the Lord and His blessings. You, on the other hand, may never know what the world might consider “blessings,” but long after the world’s “blessings” are gone and forgotten, your Divine blessings will continue to be a reality. You are blessed by the One that created heaven and earth. Praise His Name for His blessings! Amen!