Due to the fact that the remaining chapters in Psalms are so short, I thought we'd take advantage of reading all 10 of them and jumping ahead a little.
David makes a lot of great points in these Psalms that mark the end of a wonderful and poetic book.
As we begin reading in Psalms 140, I love how David asks the Lord for protection from drifting towards evil. David keeps it real. Drifting away from the Lord is so easy to do! Let's face it, how many people do you know that wake up in the morning with a driving urge to live holy? Not many. Drifting away from the Lord is easy, and David is begging God to help him to stay true to Him.
It's not uncommon for many great Christian people to become lax in their relationship to the Lord. Over time, I've seen many good Christian friends who were once on fire for the Lord, only to later drift into an almost "zoned-out" relationship with God. Asking God to help keep us from drifting away is a good, legitimate prayer to pray each day!
As we read on, I like how David eludes to prayer as going up like incense before the Lord. In fact, in the days of Moses, the table of incense that God had Moses erect within the Temple represented the prayers of God's people. So when you pray, think of it is a sweet smelling offering before the Lord...because it is!
Again, we see another chapter where David shows us just how human he really is. Even though he was a man after God's own heart, he still had times where he was paralyzed by fear. He had enemies chasing him throughout his life, especially in the early days before he became the King of Israel. David often questioned whether he was going to live from one day to the next. Yet, in the Psalms he remembers how God protected him and delivered him from all of his troubles.
If we're going to keep a good spiritual perspective on the tough circumstances in our life, we must continuously reflect on what God has done in our past for us.
Have you ever felt like David where you felt the depression of life overwhelming you? In fact he opens up with to the Lord and says my depression deepens. Got understands this and wants to be there to help lift you out of that depression.
Again, as we read on, we see an answer that all of us are looking for! David is saying, "Lord guide me by your spirit." In fact, he admits that the only way that he can have a firm footing in life is for God to direct his footsteps.
God wants to lead you and guide every footstep you make. In the book of Ephesians, I'm reminded how God tells us that we are to "walk in the Spirit." It's not a run or a sprint or even a jog. Our life with God should be lived as a walk in the Spirit. It's a day-by-day thing we do. In fact, it's more than that - it's a moment by moment thing we do each day. With all the decisions we have to make each day, it's important to take life moment by moment asking the Lord to guide us all along the way.
I love the passage where David encourages us to be sure and share the mighty miracles of the Lord with the next generation. Did you know that Christianity has always been one generation from dying out? If that's hard to believe, go back to the book of Judges and read how one generation of Israelites failed in their duties to share God with their children. What happened? Their grandchildren became a generation who didn't know about God. May God give us a sense of urgency and a sense of fortitude and a sense of purpose as we tell each generation about the Lord.
I love what David says in one of the passages! He actually puts things in perfect perspective. We are just a breath of air in this event called "life." Compared to eternity past and eternity future our lives are but a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away!
It never ceases to amaze me how many people think of God as an old man with a sour spirit and a tall cane ready to beat people over the head the moment they sin. That concept couldn't be farther from the truth! David reminds his listeners that God is long suffering, He's compassionate and His faithfulness lasts forever. He doesn't quickly get angry. In fact, you'll find many passages of scripture where you'll see how God oftentimes gives people a period of time to repent of their sin. He knows us and understands just how fragile and sinful we are. Even though He hates sin and can not let sin go unpunished, He also gives us a period of time to repent from the sin we committed. The purpose of His spankings are just like the spankings we give our own children - to teach us how to live right. We oftentimes act swiftly when our children do wrong. However God is slow to judge and slow to act. Make no mistake about it, He will act - but He graciously and mercifully allows us some time to repent.
David take some time to brag on the Lord. And there's good reason. God is so gracious and so committed to his promises and so filled with kindness that he ministers to the needs of his children if you're hungry he'll feed you. If you're bending under the weight of circumstances he'll lift you up. God is a gracious wonderful loving God and David once everybody to praise him for these wonderful qualities. Are you praising God for these thanks?
I enjoy it when David takes time to brag on the Lord. And there's good reason. God is so gracious and so committed to his promises. He is filled with kindness and ministers to the needs of his children. If you're hungry He'll feed you. If you're bending under the weight of circumstances, He'll lift you up. God is a gracious, wonderful, loving God. That's why David wants everybody to praise him!
Are you praising God for these things?
In the last 3 chapters, David encourages us to praise the Lord as he has all throughout this book. In fact, he mentions how the mountains, the hills, the Earth itself, as well as the moon the stars along with all the animals, they ought to all praise the Lord!
How much time do you take out of your day to praise the Lord? Is praise on your lips when you get up in the morning? Is praise on your lips before you go to bed at night? Is there praise to God throughout the day? If not make it a habit or create a sign to help you make it a habit to praise God for even the little things in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment