Today, I am reading and commenting on Psalms 143-150.

I am going to write about two themes from today’s psalms: learning from God how we should act and praising Him.  The psalmist begins by begging God to forgive his sins because no one can be righteous before God.  He transitions directly from that into begging God to show him, teach him, what he should do, the path he should choose to follow.  In doing so, the psalmist speaks of meditating on the things which God has done and listening to previous generations telling us of God’s mighty acts.  The best part of the latter is the way in which the psalmist tells us to listen to what previous generations tell us about God and His works, while telling us to tell future generations about those same works.  Speaking about the splendor of God’s actions while meditating on them and thinking about what they mean for us.  Our meditation on God’s works should lead us to praise Him.  Further, the psalmist relates how hearing about what God has done should cause us to put our trust in Him, and not put our trust in human beings, no matter how much power those humans appear to command.  The psalmist reminds us that we should not seek power ourselves because God does not take pleasure or delight in the power of His people, He does not take delight in our strength.  God delights in those who put their hope and trust in Him, who do as He commands.  We should strive to praise God and bring glory to His Name because we exist because of Him, He created us.  Everything should praise the Lord and all that exists should cause us to praise Him.  That last bit, like so much else in this passage, has two parts.  When we look at everything that exists its very existence should cause us to see the glory of God, but also everything that can act should act in a way which directs glory to God.

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

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

The first of today’s psalms repeats the phrase, “His love endures forever” after each line.  It seems to me that phrase is intended to tell us why we should give thanks to God, even though the rest of the psalm lists reasons why we should give thanks to God.  Then in a later psalm the writer tells us that even though God is exalted He looks with kindness and friendship on the lowly.  Despite God being as elevated in honor as it is possible to be, He is willing, even eager, to walk alongside the lowest of the low.  God knows us, He knows what we think even better than we ourselves know it.  He knows why we think it.  He knows every choice we have made and every bruise we have suffered.  In fact, He has knot us together to be the person whom we are.  The psalmist tells us that God’s thoughts about us should be precious to us.  God thinks about us so much that we cannot possibly count how often He thinks of us.  Whether we are awake or asleep God is with us.  The psalmist goes on to ask God to rescue him from the evildoers, those who misuse God’s name and His word.  He says that they have left a snare for him.  Perhaps I am reading something into it that the writer did not intend, but as I read it today the rescue he asks of God is to not join them in their animosity to God, to not allow their hostility to tempt him into misusing God’s name or word.  He asks that he be struck by a righteous man, that he be rebuked by him, before he falls into such sin.

I use 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 am not quite sure where I am going with today’s blog, but then if you have been reading this for any length of time you know that happens a lot.  In the first of today’s psalms the psalmist asks God to save him from lying lips and deceitful tongues.  It seemed to me like the psalmist was talking about the people around him and asking God to protect him from enemies who used deceit and lies against him.  However, as I read it, it occurred to me that perhaps we should ask God to save us from having lying lips and deceitful tongues.  We should seek God’s aid in being honest and forthright in our dealings with others.  Which brings me to the phrase from the second of today’s psalms which always speaks to me when I read it:
” where does my help come from?
 My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.”
And while what I am about to write is not what I think the psalmist was talking about, I do think it is something which we should acknowledge.  If we want to avoid being dishonest and deceitful, which we should desire, we need to turn to God and ask Him to help us.  On our own we will not succeed in being truly honest, even with ourselves.  

I hope you will forgive me for my writing today being a little scattered.  The psalmist requests that we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and I think that God  is speaking to us in that.  We should pray for the peace of all nations and towns, but in some way. it seems to me that peace for the world starts in Jerusalem.  Those who hate that city and want to see it subjugated bring trouble throughout the world.

The final thought I want to touch on today is where the psalmist tells us that unless the Lord builds the house the builders labor in vain.  This goes right along with what I wrote the other day about not rejecting that which God has made the cornerstone of His plans.  We will only be successful if we work on the projects which God asks us to work on.  Which brings me to where the psalmist tells us that it is good and pleasant when God’s people live and work together in unity.  If we can humbly serve the Lord, we will find it much easier to work and live in peace with all others who strive to serve Him.  The psalmist tells the servants of the Lord to praise Him.  If we give the praise and glory to God instead of seeking to keep some of it for ourselves, it is not hard to be at peace with others.

I use 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 main theme in today’s psalms is that God’s love endures forever for which we should thank and praise Him.  He tells us that if we fear the Lord we will know that His love endures forever.  Therefore we will not be afraid, because if He is with us, what can any mortal, or collection of mortals, do to us?  Of course, that is easier said than done.  Which is why reading these psalms is so important.  They remind us to take refuge in Him rather than put our trust in humans, or human institutions.  As part of that theme the psalmist tells us something of which we often miss the significance:
“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;”
We know that Jesus quotes this as a prophecy about Himself, but even so we miss the significance of what the psalmist said here.  The builders, the experts, rejected the stone which the Architect had chosen as that which the entire building would be built around.  Those whom we, in our human wisdom, look at as the most knowledgeable to accomplish the task seek to make the world a better place they reject what God has chosen as the starting place.  So, don’t put your trust in your friends, in the government, in those trained to do the job, or any other mortal, instead put your trust in God.  He has a plan.  Listen to Him and start where He tells you to start.  We will not be able to save ourselves.  We will not be successful on our own.  God alone can save us.  God alone can bring us to success.  Praise His name because His love endures forever.

Above I compared the “builders” to the “experts”, but as I thought about it a little more I realized that WE are the builders.  Let us be careful not to reject God’s cornerstone in His plans for us.  Yes, the ultimate cornerstone is Jesus Christ, but sometimes God has given us cornerstones for lesser buildings.  Do not let yourself reject those either.

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

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

In today’s psalms the psalmist calls on us to praise the Lord and explains why we should do so.  His faithfulness and love are greater than any mortal can possible measure. No matter what method one uses to measure love and/or faithfulness, God exceeds it by more than can be imagined.  So, let us extol God with all of our hearts in whatever assembly we find ourselves.  The psalmist tells us that God’s name should be praised “From the rising of the sun t the place where it sets.”  When I consider that the earth is a sphere so that the sun is always shining somewhere it makes me realize that the psalmist was calling for God’s name to be praised everywhere, all of the time.  Reading this psalm makes me realize how far I fall short of praising God as much as He deserves.  I should speak more often, and more boldly, about the greatness of God.

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

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

I love Psalm 107, so I am going to start writing about it and then circle back to what I want to write about from the previous psalms in today’s passage.  The psalmist tells those whom God has redeemed to tell others the stories about what God has done for them.  He reminds us of the importance of telling others our story.  The psalmist even gives us a template we can use for our stories.  We start by talking about the troubles we faced.  Then we explain why we faced those troubles and how we cried out to God for relief.  Finally, we talk about how God rescued us by His power from a situation out of which we could not escape.  Which leads me to go over what the psalmist told us in the previous psalms in today’s passage.  He told us to sing praises to God which tell of His wonderful acts.  He goes on to speak of the ways in which God’s people betrayed God, causing Him to be inclined to destroy them, but refrained because His Chosen One intervened for them.  So, let us sing praises to God, telling people who have not yet heard how God redeemed us from our sin and suffering because His Chosen One interceded for us.

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

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

The psalmist calls on us to sing to the Lord because of the marvelous things He has done.  In addition to the marvelous things God has done, the psalmist tells us that we should praise Him because He will judge the world in righteousness and with fairness.  God loves justice so let us shout for joy as we worship Him.  The Lord made us which means that we are His.  This should lead us to conduct our affairs honestly and fairly.  We should not approve of anything which is vile, we should have no part in what the faithless do and nothing to do with whatever is evil.  Instead of associating with the wicked let us seek out those who live righteous lives.  Every year when I read this I am challenged to live as a better example for others.

I use 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 first psalm in today’s passage makes two points I want to remind each of my readers, and myself, about.  All of our sins will be revealed in the light of God’s presence.  Second, true wisdom comes from recognizing that our lives are short, that we have fewer days to serve God than we tend to think.  Going on through today’s psalms the psalmist reminds us that the wicked may seem to be everywhere and evildoers may appear to flourish, God will destroy them forever.  They think that God does not see or take notice when they take advantage of and oppress the weak and powerless.  They are foolish to think that He who created our eyes and ears does not see and hear the evil humans do.  He knows our plans and will bring the plans of the wicked to naught, but the righteous will truly flourish in His presence.  So, let us joyfully sing praises to God and worship Him.

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

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

On this past Saturday, I wrote that rulers who care for the needy are worthy of their power.  Today, Psalm 82 warns those rulers who defend the unjust and show favoritism to the wicked.  They may think themselves strong and powerful, but God will judge them for their failure to take up the cause of the poor and oppressed.  They will die like all other mortals and stand before God for judgement.  Moving on, when I came to Psalm 83, part of me wanted to apply it to modern Israel.  To a small degree I think it does, although modern Israel falls far short of truly fulfilling their side of God’s covenant with Israel.  Nevertheless, those who form an alliance against Israel should take warning from this psalm.  As I wrote that it occurred to me that I have recently seen some videos of people claiming to have arguments which will bring down the faith of Christians.  This psalm is also a warning to them.

As I read on I see some other things which apply more directly to me.  Do I really take to heart that being in God’s presence is better than being anywhere else?  Do I really feel that being a servant to God, being one who works hard day in and day out with little reward is better than being an honored guest among the wicked?  I strive to listen to God and not turn to folly, that I may hear His word and thus rely on His faithfulness.  I wish that His Spirit will transform me so that my heart will be undivided as I sing of great love and faithfulness.

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