Songs of Renewal #31

The last half of Psalm 16 says:

7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
    in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
    because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
    my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
    or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    in your presence there is fullness of joy;
    at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This psalm of David displays a full trust in God, both for this life and the life to come.  In verse 10 you may have noticed those familiar words, quoted by Peter in referring to the resurrected Christ. Just as Jesus, God the Son, felt secure in the hands of His Father, so did David. He knew that God would be there to give Him direction and a solid foundation. He had a joy and a security that God would see Him through the whole path of this life, and that someday he would be in God's presence forever. We can have that same joy and assurance, if we, like David, will entrust ourselves to God's rule, God's plan, God's care.

Songs of Renewal #30

David wraps up Psalm 68 with these words:

 32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!

Once again, we find that David has a heart for the whole world to know his God - the God Who rules over all the world.  He is in the driver's seat. He speaks and things happen.  He holds the power in His hands, and He gives it to whomever He chooses.  He is the God Who is to be praised! May we praise him today!

Songs of Renewal #29

Psalm 27 has been a favorite of many dear saints I have known through the years:

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

As we have stated before, there was a long time in David's life when he was on the run. Therefore, he could not go where the tabernacle of the Lord was and worship. So, he longed for that opportunity; he dreamed about the possibility of being there every day. That developed into a passion to build the temple, a permanent place to worship God. During those long years, however, he came to realize that the Lord was always with him, lighting the way, protecting him, giving him a solid foundation for his life.  He learned he could come to God in prayer wherever he was, and find His presence, power and peace. So can we. 

Songs of Renewal #28

PSALM 68

1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
    lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the Lord;
    exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
    he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

This psalm of David shows a man with experience. He has seen firsthand God's powerful deliverance from the hand of ruthless and godless enemies.  But he has also seen further than that to the character of God.  It is not that God is just a bigger, badder bullie who beats up His enemies. What lies at the root of His actions is His heart for the orphan, the widow, those left all alone with no one to stand up for them. He offers peace and security to those who are willing to get right with Him and trust His ways.  May we be willing to do so today. 

Songs of Renewal #27

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
    let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and burns up his adversaries all around.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all the peoples see his glory.

Just how do you express this simple truth: "The Lord Reigns"? Since we cannot see into heaven, except the few glimpses given in scripture, we can only see things from "the under side": clouds and darkness, fire and lightning, earthquakes and volcanoes, and the glories of the skies after all the storms and great displays of what insurance adjusters call "acts of God" have gone. The earth still holds together and spins; His eyes and hands are watching over it.  The shorelines still hold the waters in place, while we watch a beautiful sunset.  We can rest at night knowing: The Lord reigns. 

Songs of Renewal #26

Yesterday we read the first stanza of Psalm 47. Today we read the rest of the Psalm:

 5 God has gone up with a shout,
    the Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing praises with a psalm!
8 God reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted!

Once again, God is pictured as a victorious King. He has gone out to battle and has now returned victorious. There is a trumpet parade as He sits on His throne, ruling the nations around the world. Around Him are princes of all peoples - not just the Israelites or descendants of Abraham, but all peoples. Around the walls of the throne room are the shields of all the nations and peoples of the world. All have come for one reason: to worship the great Creator and King.  The war is over. God rules. There will be true, eternal peace. 

Songs of Renewal #25

PSALM 47:

1 Clap your hands, all peoples!

    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!

2 For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared,

    a great king over all the earth.

3 He subdued peoples under us,

    and nations under our feet.

4 He chose our heritage for us,

    the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

One might look at the words of this Psalm and wonder: Did the people of Israel really think that they ruled the world? That all nations were under their dominion?  Not at all. But they did realize that God is the Great King and He had set His love upon them - their King was The King. This song goes on to repeatedly call on people to praise Him because He is King over all the earth, and that all shields, each with their own crest symbolizing their nation and people, are on display in His palace: all belong to Him.  To be sure, when we get all these people singing together, it will be a loud song of joy.