Psalms 22:22

 Psalms 22:22 says, I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.  David said he would declare God's name to his brethren.  We need to do that as well, but even more so we need to proclaim God's word to everyone we meet.  Verse twenty-three adds, Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.  David then called on people who believed in God to praise Him, especially the people of Israel, God's chosen people.  Like them,we need to have an awesome respect for God.  I don't believe we are to be afraid of God as followers of Christ, but we are to recognize His complete power in the universe.  Verse twenty-four continues, For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.  David said that God had not despised nor abhorred the afflicted, nor had He hidden His face from them, and when they cried out to Him, He heard them.  We can never be so bad that God will turn away from us, and if we call out to Him in faith He will always hear us.  Verse twenty-five states, My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.  David said that he would declare his praise of God to the people and that he would keep his vows to Him.  It is not enough to just praise God without keeping our vows to Him.  Verse twenty-six adds, The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.  David said the meek would eat and be satisfied.  I believe that as followers of Christ we are to be meek and humble people and not loud and bragging on our own abilities.  If we humbly put our faith in God, then we can eat and sleep in peace.  Verse twenty-seven declares, All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.  David said that people throughout the world, and not just the people of Israel, would turn to God and worship Him.  God is worshipped throughout the world by people today, but not by all the people of the world.  Verse twenty-eight adds, For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations.  David declared God to be the ruler of all nations.  Even if they don't acknowledge God's sovereignty in this lifetime, when Jesus Christ returns in judgment, every person who ever lived will acknowledge God's sovereignty.  Verse twenty-nine continues, All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.  David said that everyone would one day be held accountable, as I had stated.  We cannot keep our own soul alive, nor can we destroy it.  All we can do is choose our everlasting destination by either accepting or rejecting salvation made available through Jesus Christ.  Verse thirty says, A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.  David said there would always be a remnant that served God and that those who did would be counted as a generation to God.  As followers of Christ, we are part of that remnant.  Verse thirty-one adds, They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.  David said that the coming generations that put their faith in God would declare His righteousness to the world.  This is our responsibility as Christians today.