I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 136-142.

    Every time I read Psalm 136 I hear it as a responsive reading in my head. Sometimes I hear a single voice read out the primary words with a crowd reading, “His faithful love endures forever.” Sometimes I hear it reversed. But every time it strikes me as a powerful worship experience. Let us give thanks to God because He is good.

    Then in Psalm 139 the psalmist tells us that God knows our every need, better than we do ourselves. He knows everything we do and every aspect of our being. God knows our every action, and our every thought. He knows every word we are going to speak before we even begin to formulate the thoughts behind them. God has overseen the minutest details of our existence from the moment we were conceived in our mother’s womb. There are two sides to this. There is no place we can go to hide our actions from God. No matter where we go God can see us. The other side of that is that there is no place we can end up where God cannot come to us and care for us. We cannot hide from God, nor can we be hidden from God.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 120-135.

    I really like today’s psalms and they fit together in themes. I know what I want to write about them, but I am struggling finding a coherent way to start. Let us take out troubles to the Lord. There is nothing to be gained by looking to the mountains, or the wilderness, or “nature”. He will not allow us to stumble. He is always there to catch us. As I write this I am reminded of my mother’s failing health. She has been a fall risk for some time now and needs someone around to make sure she does not fall and cannot get up. Fortunately, my Stepfather has been there for her. However, he sometimes falls asleep and she does not want to wake him when she wants to go to the bathroom or get a drink. The psalmist reminds us that God never sleeps, not even so much as a short nap. God will always be there to steady us and keep us from falling. God will watch over us as we come and go, no matter where we may find ourselves. Even now in my Mom’s twilight years, God is there for her.

    I really love the metaphor the psalmist uses in Psalm 123. Let us focus our attention on God so that we can react to His slightest signal of what He wants us to do. He gives the example of a lowly servant girl watching her mistress for the least sign. We need to watch for God’s signals about what we should do, and the minute twitches which warn us that He is displeased with our actions. Going along with that is what the psalmist says in Psalm 127, where he tells us that no amount of hard work will accomplish anything useful if God is not part of it. We can work as hard as we are able, but if we are not doing what God directs, and if God is not taking part in our effort, we will accomplish nothing useful. There is so much more in these psalms, but I am out of time. Whatever you do, whatever your lot in life, remember that God neither slumbers nor sleeps and there is great joy in serving Him.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 117-118.

    The theme today is for us to give thanks to the Lord and to praise His name. Everyone on the earth should praise the Lord because He has unfailing love for everyone. No matter who you are, no matter where you live, God’s love for you is powerful and life changing. When times are difficult, turn to the Lord, call out to the Lord for help. For, if the Lord is for you, what reason would you have to fear anyone else? Take refuge by seeking to do what God wills for you and you will be secure in the knowledge that you will be successful. No matter how numerous your opponents, you will defeat them with God’s authority. Do God’s will and you cannot fail: God will give you victory. Always trust God before you trust people. Choose which people can be trusted by how closely what they ask of you aligns with what God asks of you. God faithfully loves us and His love will endure forever.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 108-116.

    Do you share the psalmist’s confidence in God? If so, you will praise Him with all of your heart. Let us praise God among both those who also praise Him and among those who reject Him. Human help will fail us unless God helps us as well. If we continue to praise the Lord and obey His commands, the wicked will slander us. They will accuse us of persecuting the poor and needy, and hounding the depressed, even though such things are not true. If we continue to faithfully call on God in the face of such false accusations, He will humble our enemies and save us from those who condemn us.

    Those who fear the fear the Lord and obey His commands will be joyful. Despite the slanders against them, they are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Unlike the idols worshiped by others our God is in the heavens and does as He wishes. God is not limited to a specific geographic area, not even one as broad as the entire earth. As I read the psalmist’s description of the idols worshiped by many, it occurred to me how well that description fits the idols of the modern age. Many people today put their trust in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or bureaucracies. These groups have ears (the ears of the people who work for them), but do not listen. They have eyes (the eyes of the people who work for them), but they do not see. And while those organizations do speak in a way through their spokespeople, what they say is mostly lies. If we put our trust in the Lord He will hear our cries for help and richly bless us. This means we will be able to praise the Lord both now and forever.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 105-107.

    These three psalms focus on the same theme: the wondrous things God has done. The first one tells us to give thanks to God and proclaim to the entire world what He has done. In it the psalmist recounts the wonderful things which God did for the people of Israel in bringing them out of Egypt and giving them the Land of Canaan. However, he also reminds us that it is not enough to praise God, we need to seek and obey God. The second psalm repeats the themes of the first, but recounts how God was faithful and did miracles for the children of Israel even though they were unfaithful. The troubles which God saved the people from were the result of their sin. His miracles called them back to Him.

    The third psalm in today’s passage continues the them about praising God and telling others about what He has done, but it brings it to the personal. The first two looked at what God had done for the people of Israel as a group. This psalm talks about what God did for individuals. The first two told us to proclaim what God had done in guiding history. This psalm tells us to speak out about what God has done for us. The psalmist tells us not to be afraid to tell others about what God has done for us. Actually, he goes further than that, he tells us to actively bring it up, in the face of those who reject God. If you were suffering the consequences of your sins, cried out to God and were rescued, tell people about it. Be bold! Perhaps the person you are speaking with needs to call out to God.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 98-104.

    Yes, let us sing to the Lord! He has announced His righteousness to everyone, no one has an excuse. All of the earth will praise the Lord because He is coming to judge. When He does so He will judge with justice and righteousness. Sing, shout, clap, express your love of the Lord however you are able. Every time I read Psalm 101 I am struck by what a great guide for our lives it is. Here is the list (there is some overlap)

• Be careful to live a blameless life.
• Lead a life of integrity, even in private.
• refuse to look at anything vile or vulgar.
• Have nothing to do with those who deal crookedly
• Reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.
• Do not tolerate slander, conceit, or pride.

But that is not the whole of it, the “do nots” aren’t really the important part. No, the most important part for living a fulfilling life is seeking out faithful people to hang out with. The more time you spend with people who strive to serve the Lord, the more you will serve the Lord.

    In Psalm 102:18 the psalmist reminds us how important it is to record what God has done in our lives. But not just what He does in our lives, we need to record what God has done in the world around us and we need to make a record of the actions of God’s people which we witness. The purpose of keeping records is so that those who have not yet been born will know what God has done and praise Him for it.

    I will conclude today’s post by saying with the psalmist, “Let all that I am praise the Lord.”

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 90-97.

    The bulk of today’s psalms are psalms of praise, even the two which do not focus on praise remind us to praise. The first psalm reminds us that our time on this earth is but the blink of an eye to God. It is important for us to realize this for two reasons. What seems like God taking a long time to act is merely a few moments. The situation as it currently is took a long time to get that way, it will take a long time for it to get fixed. However, we need to realize we only have a few short years to serve God on this earth. We need to learn not to waste the time we have, let us use it to bring glory to God.

    If we have God as our shelter and protector we need fear nothing, because all things work together for good for those who love Him. Nothing happens in this world which does not fit into God’s plan and the joy of playing our part is greater than any pain or suffering. Let us sing praises to God morning, noon, and night. The psalmist reminds us that only fools and simpletons are fooled by the fact that the wicked sprout like weeds. In due time the wicked will be completely destroyed, but the godly will flourish. The whole earth will rejoice in God’s triumph over evil. Let us be in the forefront of that celebration. Let us celebrate God’s victory while the wicked still think that they are thriving.

    Speaking of fools, the wicked think that they can get away with robbing and killing the powerless, the widow, the fatherless, and the foreigner. But God is a God of vengeance. He will avenge those who have been wrongfully harmed. Only fools think that God does not know what they are doing. I will say with the psalmist, “Unless the Lord had helped me…” The Lord is my rock and my fortress.
    I am not quite sure how this fits in here, but I am feeling convicted to write it. Writing this blog has been making me feel guilty because I have not used my gifts to do more for the Lord. Yet over the last few days I have had incidents with non-Christian friends whose actions have tempted me to end my interaction with them. In those cases, the friends had done with me the sorts of things which had in the past caused others to end interaction with them. The inspiration for breaking off contact was the thought, “Is what I am getting out of my interaction with this person worth the effort?” However, the Holy Spirit made me realize that my interactions with them are not, and should not be, about what I get out of it. They are about showing Christ’s love to those I meet. I have rarely spoken to any of these friends about my faith, but I know that I have made it clear to them that it is the center of my life.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 78-81.

    Each generation must teach the next the wonderful things which God has done and the commands which He has given. Otherwise, the next generation will commit the sins of the previous one. Even if we do teach the next generation, they may repeat the sins. Look at the history of Israel as told in Exodus; God performed great signs for them, yet each time a new challenge arose the people did not believe that God could meet this new challenge. Will we put our trust in God, or will we follow their example and turn from Him when new problems appear?

    If we cry out to God and plead with Him to bring us back to Him, He will do so. He will turn us to him as a vine turns towards the sun. He will teach those who mocked Him because of our unfaithfulness the folly of their ways. AS I read these psalms they remind me of the paradox of our relationship with God: we can only turn to Him if His Spirit takes control of us and turns us to Him, but if we reject Him, He will leave us to our folly. Turning from temptation and sin is a task too heavy for us, God will lift it from our back if we allow Him to do so.

I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 82-89.

    Two of today’s psalms speak to the controversy over immigration from impoverished countries to the developed world, Psalm 82 and 87. I am not going to take a position on how these psalms should be applied to this issue, or even if they should be. Psalm 82 calls on rulers to give justice to the poor and uphold the rights of the oppressed. This is sometimes used to call on the governments of developed countries to be more open to immigrants who have not gone through the established channels. There is some merit to that position. However, what I have never seen is anyone using this psalm to call out the governments of the countries from which these immigrants are fleeing. While those of us in the developed world should pay heed to this psalm’s call to rescue the poor and helpless, its condemnation is directed at those who have been oppressing them.
    Then in Psalm 87 the psalmist says that “They have all become citizens of Jerusalem.” Certainly, he is talking here about becoming citizens of the Kingdom of God. However, on the immigration issue there are those who want to apply it to our present world. They desire to make everyone citizens of one nation which encompasses the whole world. This whole discussion makes me think that the problem, of which mass migration is but a part, will not be solved until the Christ’s return. This psalm does tell us that citizenship in God’s Kingdom is not determined by geography. People from every land and ethnicity are welcome in God’s Kingdom. God will not only give them citizenship, He will adopt them into the royal family.
**Note:Something about the above two paragraphs bothered me, but I could not put my finger on it. A few minutes ago it struck me: this whole discussion about proper enforcement of immigration laws in developed countries is from the perspective of being involved in the government, even if only in so small a way as voting, something I do not believe we as Christians should do.

    In many ways I see Psalm 84 as being a response to Psalm 83. The peoples of this world will unite together in order to oppose God and attack His people, thinking that by doing so they can gain greater riches and wealth. They will fail in their endeavor. But Psalm 84 tells us that even if they could gain what they are seeking, what they are rejecting is better than what they seek. Despite what the people of this world think, seeking God is more satisfying and a source of greater pleasure than anything else we can do. Despite our fears and insecurities, doing God’s will brings us greater, by far, fulfillment and joy than we can imagine.