Ps 103.8-18

Psg: Psa 103.8-18 (http://biblia.com/bible/leb/Ps103.8-18)
Date: 7/9/12

Read

8 Yahweh is compassionate and gracious,

⌊slow to anger⌋c and abundant in loyal love.

9 He does not dispute continually,

nor keep his anger forever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins,

nor repaid us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so his loyal love prevails over those who fear him.

12 As far as east is from west,

so he has removed far from us the guilt of our transgressions.

13 As a father pitiesd his children,

so Yahweh pitiese those who fear him.

14 For he knows our frame.f

He remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like the grass.

As the flower of the field, so he blossoms.

16 When the wind passes over it, it is no more,

and its place knows it no longer.

17 But the loyal love of Yahweh

is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to their children’s children,

18 to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his precepts.

Record

(14) For he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust.

Reflect

• As we consider our guilt, our sin, our responsibilities before God, his justice, his wrath, his hesed, we should also remember this statement. He knows what we’re made of. He knows our incapacities. He knows our parts that just don’t work.
• This does not mean that we are excused.
• This is more than God looking down and saying, “At least you tried hard.”
• This is a reality that God is fully aware of: he demands perfection, we are structurally and systemically incapable of it, and he is fully aware of that.
• This is why Jesus is necessary, and God knows it (of course). Jesus is God’s only avenue because of what he knows to be true about our capacity.
• This informs everything he instructs us to do, everything he expects from us, everything he equips us for, and everything that he expects the Holy Spirit to empower.
• Our sins do not surprise him or shock him. He knows what we’re made of.
• cf. Jn 2:24 But Jesus himself did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people,i 25 and because he did not⌊need⌋j anyone ⌊to testify⌋k about man, for he himself knew what was in man.*
• His love for us is all the more amazing.

Respond

• Thank you for your “despite all that” love.
• Teach me to see myself as you see me, and then to rely on the Holy Spirit even more.

Psa 34.1-14

Psg: Psa 34.1-14 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Ps34.1-14)
Date: 6/16/12

Read

34:1 I will praise* the Lord at all times;

my mouth will continually praise him.*

34:2 I will boast* in the Lord;

let the oppressed hear and rejoice!*

34:3 Magnify the Lord with me!

Let’s praise* his name together!

34:4 I sought the Lord’s help* and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

34:5 Those who look to him for help are happy;

their faces are not ashamed.*

34:6 This oppressed man cried out and the Lordheard;

he saved him* from all his troubles.

34:7 The Lord’s angel camps around

the Lord’s* loyal followers* and delivers them.*

34:8 Taste* and see that the Lord is good!

How blessed* is the one* who takes shelter in him!*

34:9 Remain loyal to* the Lord, you chosen people of his,*

for his loyal followers* lack nothing!

34:10 Even young lions sometimes lack food and are hungry,

but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

34:11 Come children! Listen to me!

I will teach you what it means to fear theLord.*

34:12 Do you want to really live?*

Would you love to live a long, happy life?*

34:13 Then make sure you don’t speak evil words*

or use deceptive speech!*

34:14 Turn away from evil and do what is right!*

Strive for peace and promote it!*

Record

Remain loyal to the Lord, you chosen people of his (9).

Reflect

• “chosen people”: “saints” (קְדֹשָׁיו); NET “holy ones of his”
• How does the NET justify “chosen people”? There doesn’t appear to be a translator note to explain that choice.
• “remain loyal”: “fear”
• This was written to the Jews, however we can still apply the principle to our situation. We have this special status of being “saints” or “chosen people.” From that privileged position, rather than taking it for granted, we are to loyally fear the Lord.
• Fearing the Lord is more than just having awe and reverence (which we would be doing well just to do that much to the full extent), but a commitment that leads to action. Living according to his Word, being active with his business. The allegiance is enfleshed with daily life, and it comes from this privileged position. We are the ones who should most fear him. We have the unique freedom to serve him freely. We are inside the Kingdom, and therefore have the privilege of working for his purposes.

Respond

• Too often, I live as those who are outside the Kingdom - not necessarily in wanton sin, but with an attitude that I am living for my own agenda. Fearing you is to be your alert servant, looking for ways to serve your agenda, your purpose.
• Thank you for changing me as much as you have, and for your promise to complete the work. Thank you that you have withheld nothing from me that I need in order to live for your Kingdom fully.
• There is nothing I can live for that is more important than your agenda for mankind.

Psa 16 HQ

Psg: Psa 16 (link)
Date: 5/16/12

Read

Psalm 16:1-11 NASB

Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. I said to the LORD , "You are my Lord;
I have no good besides You." As for the saints who are in the earth,
They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. The sorrows of those who have bartered for another  god  will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
Nor will I take their names upon my lips. The LORD  is the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You support my lot. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. I will bless the LORD  who has counseled me;
Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the LORD  continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Record

I have no good besides you.
NET fn: My good is not beyond you.

Reflect

• I don't need to look beyond, beside, around, away from, or any other direction relative to God. My good is found only exactly there ... in him.
• We spend a lot of our lives looking elsewhere. It never works. Believing the lie that it will work is how Satan is effective.
• We can be happy, we can be content, we can be settled looking elsewhere, but we cannot find our good anywhere else.
• Will I settle for placated, or will I insist on good?

Respond

• My good is found only in you. Thank you for disallowing my good to be found anywhere else. You have sufficiently provided for me to find my good in you - you have withheld nothing I need to seek it out and enjoy it. I have only to insist on it, persist in pursuing it, and refuse everything less.

Psa 18.1-19 HQ

Psg: Psa 18.1-19 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Ps18.1-19)
Date: 6/1/12

Read

18:1 He said:*

“I love* you, Lord, my source of strength!*

18:2 The Lord is my high ridge,* my stronghold,*my deliverer.

My God is my rocky summit where* I take shelter,*

my shield, the horn that saves me,* and my refuge.*

18:3 I called* to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,*

and I was delivered from my enemies.

18:4 The waves* of death engulfed me,

the currents* of chaos* overwhelmed me.*

18:5 The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,*

the snares of death trapped me.*

18:6 In my distress I called to the Lord;

I cried out to my God.*

From his heavenly temple* he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help.*

18:7 The earth heaved and shook;*

the roots of the mountains* trembled;*

they heaved because he was angry.

18:8 Smoke ascended from* his nose;*

fire devoured as it came from his mouth;*

he hurled down fiery coals.*

18:9 He made the sky sink* as he descended;

a thick cloud was under his feet.

18:10 He mounted* a winged angel* and flew;

he glided* on the wings of the wind.*

18:11 He shrouded himself in darkness,*

in thick rain clouds.*

18:12 From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals.*

18:13 The Lord thundered* in* the sky;

the sovereign One* shouted.*

18:14 He shot his* arrows and scattered them,*

many lightning bolts* and routed them.*

18:15 The depths* of the sea* were exposed;

the inner regions* of the world were uncovered

by* your battle cry,* Lord,

by the powerful breath from your nose.*

18:16 He reached down* from above and took hold of me;

he pulled me from the surging water.*

18:17 He rescued me from my strong enemy,*

from those who hate me,

for they were too strong for me.

18:18 They confronted* me in my day of calamity,

but the Lord helped me.*

18:19 He brought me out into a wide open place;

he delivered me because he was pleased with me.*

Record

The earth heaved and shook; the roots of the mountains trembled; they heaved because he was angry. (7)

Reflect

• When God needs to act on his anger against sin, evil, and his enemies, he will. And when he does, the firmest elements of the earth shakes and rattles and groans.
• How secure am I that this God is this way? Why do I fear anything?
• If God is not shaking the foundations, he must not need to. I must be secure without him shaking it up.
• Therefore, when he shakes the earth, I am secure. When he does not shake the earth, I am secure.
• How can I live this securely? How would my life be different if I did?

Respond

• You are the rock that does not move. You are the one who shakes all other rocks. You, the one I doubt, are the least to be doubted. You and you alone give me reason to walk forward with peaceful, humble confidence in every circumstance. My peace does not come from meditating on peace, but knowing that you are the one who shakes mountains.

Psa 24

Psg: Psa 24 (http://biblia.com/bible/gs-netbible/Ps24)
Date: 5/17/12

Read

24:1 The Lord owns the earth and all it contains,

the world and all who live in it.

24:2 For he set its foundation upon the seas,

and established* it upon the ocean currents.*

24:3 Who is allowed to ascend* the mountain of the Lord?*

Who may go up to his holy dwelling place?

24:4 The one whose deeds are blameless

and whose motives are pure,*

who does not lie,*

or make promises with no intention of keeping them.*

24:5 Such godly people are rewarded by theLord,*

and vindicated by the God who delivers them.*

24:6 Such purity characterizes the people who seek his favor,

Jacob's descendants, who pray to him.*(Selah)

24:7 Look up,* you gates!

Rise up,* you eternal doors!

Then the majestic king* will enter!*

24:8 Who is this majestic king?*

The Lord who is strong and mighty!

The Lord who is mighty in battle!

24:9 Look up, you gates!

Rise up, you eternal doors!

Then the majestic king will enter!

24:10 Who is this majestic king?

The Lord who commands armies!*

He is the majestic king! (Selah)

Record

Who is this majestic king? (8, 10)

Reflect

• This kind of question is exactly the kind of question that was rolling around in my head at the moment salvation became mine.
• God is, God is real, and therefore...
• The answers to the question:
• The Lord, who is strong and mighty (8)
• The Lord, who is mighty in battle (8)
• The Lord, who commands armies (10)
• King-warrior-commander
• From the rest of the psalm:
• He owns everything because he made everything and set it in place
• He is approachable only by the pure
• The one who enters through the gates
• Since only the pure can approach him, and I cannot be pure, I cannot approach him - except for Christ, who is pure.
• Rather than teaching that we can reach God, this psalm is part of progressive revelation, making the point that we can only be in his presence if we are pure, but we cannot achieve this purity on our own.
• As great as this psalm is, without Christ, it ends in despair.
• David knew his own impurity (Pss 32, 51).
• Imagine approaching this king-warrior-commander, who will be victorious, while you are carrying the very sin that he will be victorious over.

Respond

• Of all the images painted of you, the king-warrior-commander image is one I don't think of as much. It's not part of my earthly experience, and I don't realize how much I daily need these attributes in you. Help me to worship you more by expanding my view of you. This means I must be willing to, and even diligent to, embrace the reality that we're in a very real battle.