Sunday, December 12, 2021

Psalms 95: 1

Psalms 95:1 says, O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.  As the psalmist called on the people of Israel to do then, to sing and make a joyful noise to the rock of their salvation, so should we as followers of Christ do today.  Verse two adds, Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.  As the people of Israel were asked to do then, we today as Christians should come into God's presence with thanksgiving, because He is the only One Who can provide us with salvation.  We do not worship Him for material reasons, but for spiritual ones.  Verse three declares, For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  This always has been and always will be true.  God is above all else, even the things that we might attempt to make a god in our life.  Verse four adds, In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.  God is the God of everything and every place.  Verse five continues, The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.  As stated already, everything belongs to God, both the sea and the land of the world, and everything else in the universe itself.  Verse six states, O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.  We as followers of Christ must humble ourselves before God and worship Him alone.  Verse seven adds, For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.  If we will hear his voice, even though to be a sheep is today used as a term of derision, we are called on to be the sheep of God.  Like sheep with a shepherd, we are to be obedient to His voice and dependant on Him to guide us and keep us safe.  Verse eight says, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness:  The people of Isreal were called on to not harden their hearts against God, and if we are Christians then we should never harden our hearts to the will of God, as the people of Israel did in the wilderness, and we should call on the lost of the world to not do so.  Verse nine adds, When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.  When the people of Israel refused to follow God's will and tempted Him, He proved that He was God by His work.  Today, even though we can see the work of God throughout the universe, we see His redemptive power through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Verse ten continues, Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:  God was grieved by the people of Israel, whom He had delivered from Egypt, and for forty years in the wilderness as a generation who didn't put their faith in God they were never allowed into the promised land.  It is not enough to claim to be a part of God's kingdom without putting our faith totally in Him, beginning by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse eleven concludes, Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.  God did not let the people of Israel who did not truly believe in Him into the promised land.  Likewise, He will not let anyone into the kingdom of heaven if they do not truly put their faith in Jesus Christ. 

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Psalms 94:12

Psalms 94:12 says, Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;  The psalmist says that we are blessed if God does chastise us to teach us His law.  Still, we seldom feel blessed if God does chastise us.  Verse thirteen adds, That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.  Adversity sent from God to teach His people His law results in rest in the end, and avoids the pit dug for the wicked.  Verse fourteen states, For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.  The psalmist says that God will not cast off His people nor forget their inheritance.  Verse fifteen adds, But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.  Even if the people of Israel were suffering at this time, and much of the suffering coming from their enemies, the righteous would be restored in God's time.  It may seem that the world is defeating us today as followers of Christ, but we will be victorious in the end.  Verse sixteen asks, Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?  This is the question that God asks today, and as Christians we must answer we will stand for Him.  Verse seventeen adds, Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.  The psalmist said he had almost remained silent instead of speaking up for the LORD, but the LORD was his help, and He is ours today.  Verse eighteen continues, When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.  The psalmist said when he slipped in his walk for God, then God held him up.  If we begin to falter in our faith, God stands ready to hold us up.  Verse nineteen declares, In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.  The psalmist said that in the multitude of thoughts about what was going on in the world that thoughts of God brought Him comfort.  This should be true for us today as followers of Christ.  Verse twenty asks, Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?  Those who live in iniquity, even if they are in positions of power, will never have fellowship with God.  Verse twenty-one adds, They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.  Those in power often seem to gather together against the righteous, or those who have put their faith in God.  Verse twenty-two states, But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.  As Christians,  God is our defence and our Rock of refuge today.  The world will never defeat us in the end as long a we remain faithful to God.  Verse twenty-three adds, And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.  When Christ returns and God's judgment comes, those who have refused to acknowledge their sins and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will be cut off from God forever. 

Friday, December 10, 2021

Psalms 94:1

Psalms 94:1 says, O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.  The people of Israel were being oppressed, and they appealed to God as the only One to whom vengeance belongs.  Even if we are wronged in the world, we are not to act out of vengeance.  Verse two adds, Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.  Of course, God never has to lift Himself up, as He is always above His creation.  Verse three states, LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?  We today are not the first to feel as though the wicked seem to be triumphing, though they really aren't.  Verse four adds, How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?  Again, it may seem that this is the situation again today, when the wicked seem to boast about themselves.  Verse five continues,  They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.  There is a movement today throughout the world it seems, as there was then, to deny the authority of God and to tear down His traditions, which are built on His laws.  Verse six concludes, They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.  The weaker have always been exploited by the stronger, and this is still true today.  We as followers of Christ must do everything we can to help them instead.  Verse seven declares, Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.  The psalmist said that those who were treating others unfairly claimed that God would never react against those who deny His authority.  Verse eight adds, Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?  The question was asked then and still applies today as to when the brutish and the fools would become wise, which can only happen through acknowledging God.  Verse nine asks, He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?  The answer to the question of whether or not the God Who created everything would hear and see what was going on in the world, and the answer is yes.  God is not a distant and uninvolved God, but He is active in the world today.  Verse ten continues, He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?  God does stand ready to correct people and teach them real knowledge, which comes by first accepting the knowledge that salvation is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse eleven states, The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.  The thoughts of people, those that are not founded on faith in God, are indeed vanity, or worth nothing. 

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Psalms 93:1

Psalms 93:1 says, The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.  The psalmist tells us that God is clothed in majesty and strength.  No matter how majestically and powerfully the rulers of the world may be clothed today, they pale in comparison to God.  Verse two adds, Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.  God's throne, unlike the thrones of people, is of old, or from before the beginning of time and it is everlasting, just as God Himself is.  No matter how long a person may reign in the world, their reign has a beginning and will have an end if it hasn't already.  Verse three states, The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.  Matthew Henry says this is a reference to the opposition that is thrown at the church.  The heathen, or those who do not believe in God or reject His power, may rage against God and us as followers of Christ, but they will never be victorious.  Verse four adds, The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.  As just stated, God will always be victorious, as will those who put their faith in Jesus Christ spiritually.  We may be defeated physically, but as long as we live by faith in Jesus Christ we will never be defeated spiritually.  Through faith in Christ, we have everlasting life with Him, and this is assured by God Himself.  Verse five declares, Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.  We can be certain of God's victory over all the evil in the world because what He says is always true.  Of course, we have to first accept the fact that He is indeed God and come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ to believe and understand this.  Whether we do or not though does not change the fact that it is true. 

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Psalms 92:1

Psalms 92:1 says, A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.  This is called a psalm or song for the Sabbath day, then verse one says, It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:  As then, today it is good to give thanks and sing praises to God, Who is the Most High.  Verse two adds, To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,  The people of Israel were called on to worship God day and night, or at all times, and so should we.  Verse three continues, Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound.  Once more, they were instructed to use musical instruments in worship, so we should not believe that it is wrong to do so today.  Verse four declares, For thou, LORD, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.  As Christians, we should be glad at the work of God Who triumphed over sin and death through the works of His hands, which was sending His Son Jesus Christ to die in our place.  Verse five adds, O LORD, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep.  God's works are indeed very great and His thoughts very deep.  We can never really understand the thoughts of God, but fortunately we don't have to.  All we have to understand is that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and if we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, that is all that really matters.  Verse six says, A brutish man knoweth not; neither doth a fool understand this.  Those who refuse to accept Jesus Christ are the brutish or stubborn ones, and are also fools because they have denied God.  Verse seven adds, When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever:  Though the wicked may flourish in this lifetime, it is still their fate to be doomed forever, separated from God and His love.  Verse eight declares, But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore.  God is the Most High forevermore.  We either believe this or we have not truly come to accept God as our heavenly Father.  Verse nine adds, For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.  If we have not accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, then we are enemies of God and workers of iniquity.  Verse ten says, But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.  Those who do put their faith faith in God will be anointed with fresh oil.  Verse eleven adds, Mine eye also shall see my desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear my desire of the wicked that rise up against me.  I believe this is saying that we as followers of Christ will see those who are our spiritual enemies destroyed one day, but I don't believe it should be our desire.  Verse twelve states, The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.  As Christians, made righteous through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, we should flourish spiritually.  Verse thirteen adds, Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.  If we would flourish in life spiritually, then we must be planted in the house of God.  Verse fourteen continues, They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;  As the psalmist stated, we as followers of Christ should still be bringing forth fruit for God, even in our old age.  Verse fifteen concludes, To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.  We worship God because He is upright and there is no unrighteousness in Him.  

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Psalms 91:9

Psalms 91:9 says, Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;  Those who make the LORD their refuge, the place where they put their faith and trust, will always be safe.  As followers of Christ, we must live by faith each moment, and not periodically during the week.  Verse ten adds, There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  Matthew Henry says that even though trouble and affliction may befall those who put their trust in God, no real evil will.  We are freed from the power of sin and Satan spiritually by the love and mercy of God.  Verse eleven states, For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  The psalmist says that we have God's angels to protect us, so all we have to do is keep our faith in God.  We are told that the angels will keep us in all our ways, or be with us in good times as well as bad.  Verse twelve adds, They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  The angels will keep us from any spiritual harm I believe, even if we do suffer physically at times.  Verse thirteen continues, Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.  Matthew Henry says these are all references to Satan, and by our faith in Jesus Christ he has been trampled underfoot.  Nothing in this world can separate us from God as long as we put our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse fourteen declares, Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.  We are told that we are set on high and protected by God and His angels if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Once more, I don't believe that this means that nothing bad can ever happen to us physically or materially, but that nothing can harm us spiritually as long as we remain faithful to God.  Verse fifteen adds, He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  As this states, if we are Christians and remain faithful to God, He will always hear us always hear us and deliver us in times of trouble.  As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ has already delivered us from the power of sin and given us everlasting life with God if we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, so the trouble we have in this lifetime will always be temporary.  Verse sixteen continues, With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.  We as followers of Christ have been given everlasting life, through the salvation provided by Jesus Christ, no matter how long or short our life here on earth may be. 

Monday, December 6, 2021

Psalms 91:1

Psalms 91:1 says, He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  The psalmist, who was most likely David, says that those who are in close communion with God are safely under His protection.  I believe it is called a secret place because those who do not put their faith in God cannot see or understand what God's place is.  Verse two adds, I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.  David said that God was His refuge and fortress, and most importantly, He was David's God in Whom he would trust.  For us to understand God and have Him be our refuge and fortress, we must accept Him as our God and put our faith in Him by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.  Verse three states, Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.  God will indeed deliver us from all the things in the world that would destroy us spiritually, as long as we put our faith in Him.  Verse four adds, He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  I believe that as long as we accept the truth of God, which we can only do by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are safely under His protection forever, as long as we live by faith in Him.  Verse five declares, Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;  As David said, we have no reason to be afraid at any time, because God is the source of our protection.  Verse six adds, Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.  This is just a continuation of stating the fact that we as Christians have nothing to fear in this world, but we too often do not live as though we believe that.  Verse seven continues, A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.  David  basically was saying that no matter how large the force against us, they will always fail as long as we are putting our faith in God.  Verse eight concludes, Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.  Matthew Henry says this might refer to the destruction of the first born children of Egypt which the people of Israel had seen, but regardless, we as followers of Christ will witness the destruction of those who do not follow Christ one day, even if we never see it in this lifetime.