July 20th – Les Kovacs Psalm 86
Observe: Psalm 86 is a prayer for help in troubled times. The Psalmist is probably King David who puts his faith in God while crying out his many needs with a series of requests. In Verses 1-7, David calls himself a servant of God and calls for God, in His goodness and mercy, to hear his pleas and act on his behalf. In Verses 8-10, David extols God’s praises. Because of His mighty deeds, there is none like Him, and David declares that He is the only true God—the lord of all the nations. Then in Vs:11-12, David asks the Lord to teach him and give him an undivided heart in order to fear God so that he can glorify Him forever. Finally in Vs:13-17, David appeals to God’s mercy and grace to deliver him from the depths of the dead, and from the arrogant and ruthless foes trying to kill him. He relies on God’s strength because he knows the Lord is compassionate and gracious, abounding in love and faithfulness and his only true hope. Interpret: As with so many of his psalms, David once again finds himself in trouble. This time he calls them a band of arrogant, violent men who are seeking his life. David understands his own need and it drives him toward prayer. Psalm 86 can help Christians recognize our own selfishness and helps to shed light on the bigger picture of our relationships within families and the church. Throughout the entire psalm, David gives glory to God. He praises Him throughout the prayer with the most humble and reverent adoration. Even in the midst of his anguish he doesn’t neglect to remember and honour God’s mighty deeds, unfailing love and infinite goodness. Through his own trials, David reminds us that every one of us needs the salvation of the Lord. There are so many trials and tribulations in our world that it is imperative for us to pray to God for mercy, and allow Him to help lead us away from potential sins and disaster. Application: From time to time, our own pride can become blinding ad get in the way of the reality that God has put into play for our lives. In today’s psalm, we find a man who puts his faith in God while crying out desperately in his need. David fills the psalm with requests, some of which are repetitive, but the bigger picture we see is that our great needs should drive us to pray to our great God, who alone can deliver us. Even David, who as King of Israel had the power and authority of government entirely in his hands, knew that God is the only one who has real control over the world that we live in. No matter how much we plan or how hard we might wish for something, the Lord is the only one who can really provide us with the strength, hope and direction to get where we yearn to be. Once we learn to put God first, everything else will fall into place. Our needs might be great, but our God is greater. Prayer: Father God, what a comfort it is to know that no matter what situation we may be in, we can trust that you are in control and always know what is best for us because “…You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth”. Amen. Song: Great Are You Lord – Casting Crowns https://youtu.be/ZZqV6i98SkA Psalm 85
Observe Look what God has done for Israel! Verses 1-3 recount His favour to Jacob, His deep love and faithfulness, restoring, forgiving, turning away His wrath. They ask: Will you restore us, Lord, and forgive our apostasy and unfaithfulness? Will you stay angry? Will you revive us yet again? Will you save us? (5-7) Provided they don’t turn back to folly (8) ( = moral stupidity), His salvation which they asked for (7) is to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land. (9) He will give them more than they ask: Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other (10-13) -- restoration, in complete harmony with Him. He gives them what is good (12), to prosper them in His righteous way. Interpret Psalm 85 is a “community lament”, asking God to restore after their unfaithfulness. The restored ‘glory’ is God's Shekinah – His special presence dwelling among them as they enjoy Him. In Ex.34:6-7, God proclaims His steadfast love and faithfulness, His utter reliability, which provide the background to this Psalm. Apply The history of revivals is worth studying, from the first revival in the fledgling church in Acts 2-4, its amazing newness, community, sharing, generosity, worship – and then the snake shows up... This seems to be a pattern in revivals through the millennia: repentance, excitement, heightened awareness of God’s goodness and mercy, new music, deepened relationships, glorious worship, caring and love and generosity, then – oh, oh. Something interrupts that flow of grace, pride or power hunger enters, forgetting happens, early euphoria vanishes, other than God takes precedence though vestiges remain as history. We have a constant need for repentance and renewed dependence by God’s Spirit, and we repent again. And again. Psalm 85 speaks to us as we anticipate the Spirit’s breaking out amongst us in revival. The Psalm recounts God’s work among His people, the constant need to repent individually and communally. So, we pray for revival. First, are we willing to look at ourselves as God reveals what needs repair, to repent from what displeases our God of love – and justice? This requires utter honesty and humility before God in our church family before He gives what we ask for. We cry to God to reveal Himself – then we wait, listening carefully to His word (7-9). His faithfulness to forgive encourages us to ask again: Will you revive us, God? Give us the willingness, because it will change us, remove our reticence and stiffness, our apathy and indifference and reliance on old deadening customary ways and viewpoints. We may resist change at first, but He is irresistible; the Lord will give us what is good (12a). Strengthened and freed by His real love and goodness, we joyfully make Him known to others – a sign of real revival. And revival = transformation! Ask Will you revive me so I may rejoice in You, O Lord, and see You afresh? Will You give me the grace to offer myself to You and others until, transformed, I am part of Your glorious Real Church Transformed? Pray Lord, You created me to ‘enjoy You forever’, but I can’t see beyond present tense. Your salvation unites but I’m hardly giving myself to community. Lord, heal me of my fear of opening up to others and to You. Then revive and renew my life. Adapted from Tim and Kathy Keller, The Songs of Jesus. Sing Psalm 85 Restore us, O God of our Salvation - Esther Mui Bring Us Back - GraceChild 2012 Mercy and Truth - Jason Coghill Observe: Charles Spurgeon referred to Psalm 84 as “the pearl of Psalms”. In reading this glorious and beautiful psalm, I would tend to agree. It is so full of little pearls of wisdom, adoration and encouragement. I’m going to deviate a little from the normal structure of our blogs and just basically give my thoughts as to what this psalm means to me. However, let’s observe the basic composition of the psalm and then I’ll proceed. Verses 1 and 2 reveal the psalmist’s longing for the house of God, verses 3 and 4 reflect upon the satisfaction found in the house of God, verses 5-7 talk of the strength for those who are away from the house of God, verse 8 and 9 state a prayer and asking for God’s attention and verses 10-12 declare the greatness of God and His house.
Reflection: “My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord”. Yearning…it is such a deep feeling as to cause fainting if denied the privilege of meeting with God among His people. Do we actually have such a longing when we come to church that we would almost physically faint if we could not have fellowship with one another and not only with each other, but with the living God? We come to church with one purpose – to come together with those who also cry out to meet with the living God. We don’t meet just for social reasons or programs, although those are great, but to worship together with our living God – our God and King! (vs. 4) The psalmist talks about crying out, and in this case the cry is not necessarily a joyous one (Psalm 17:1, Lamentations 2:19), but rather using everything within him (heart and flesh) to long for God and His house. He talks of the sparrow and the swallow. The sparrow is a bird of small significance and the swallow tends to be restless. Likewise the insignificant and restless can find rest (their nest) in the house of God. It needs to be welcoming place for all who seek the living God! When we enter the church building, we need to be aware of what God might want of us in that particular service. We need to “be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) and we need to have such deep yearning or longing to meet with the living God – our God and King! I encourage you to keep this in mind and be grateful that we are privileged to meet with God Almighty and each other! Every time I read this psalm, I can’t help but sing the following song. I’ve had the privilege of singing it a few times in my life in different choirs and have found it to be an inspiration. Even if you aren’t a fan of classical music, please listen and reflect on Psalm 84. Song: How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place – the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Psalm 83
Observe: Psalm 83 is the last of the Psalms of Asaph, which include Psalm 50 as well as Psalm 73-83. It is also the last of the “Elohist” collection (Psalms 42-83) in which one of God’s titles Elohim is mainly used. Some commentators link this Psalm to 2 Chronicles 20:1-37 which tells of the great victory under Jehoshephat, while others view the list of 10 enemies set against Israel as an ever-present threat and not in reference to one specific event. This was the threat of annihilation under which Israel lived and is relevant both in the ancient and modern world. The first four verses are a plea for God to move; to take action and not remain still. Asaph appeals to God’s righteousness, to see Israel’s enemies as God’s enemies. He goes on to tell of all the many nations, some powerful and vast, that are arranged to conspire against Israel and threatening her with extermination. Asaph then cries out for God to take vengeance on behalf of Israel like what was once written in the book of Judges. There is an appeal to precedent as Asaph points the congregation to Judges 4-8. There is a surprising turn in the last three verses of this Psalm; Asaph prays that God would not just act to destroy, but to humble those who oppose Him so that they seek His name! The Psalmist prays with a desire stronger than that for mere retribution, but salvation. Interpret: How many times have you read through the Old Testament? Even if you’ve only gone through it once – even if you’ve only skimmed it once, you’d notice that time and time again, the people that God chose to be His own forget Him and everything He has done to save them. It’s tempting to sit in our rooms with our Bibles and say to ourselves, if I had seen God give Moses the Ten Commandments or part the Red Sea, I would never stray from Him! I have thought as much myself many times. That is, until I lived long enough to see that no matter what wonderful things God has done in my life and the lives of those around me, I am always tempted to forget. I am guilty and you are guilty and the entire human race is guilty of forgetting what isn’t directly in front of us, even if it’s God! Asaph knew that people forget God. Until we go home to our heavenly Father, our flesh is eager to supplant Him in the temple of our hearts and erect idols of any and every sort. We long to exalt ourselves and we crave autonomy; we become so set on being free from all constraints that we actually become enslaved to freedom! How bitterly ironic it is that we who desire to be free from all things actually become chained to the whims of our bodies and minds! Asaph understood the condition of the human heart; people will often only seek the Lord if they are first humbled by His incredible power. There is a sense that God must defeat us before He will save us. Humility and submission run utterly counter to the message of this day – do what you want, become who you want, behave how you want, for there is no right answer. Humility and submission are the aim of Psalm 83, and in it we see a certain Christ-ness: that even those who would harm the people of God might turn from their ways and seek the face of the Lord. There is a call for action and retribution, but the end of this prayer is not only destruction, but the humbling and repentance of wicked hearts. “But there is a deeper desire in the psalmist’s heart than the enemies’ destruction. He wishes that they should be turned into God’s friends and he wishes for their chastisement as the means to that end.” (Maclaren) Application/Question: There are so many stories flooding the news these days that I find nearly impossible to watch. It’s all too much, too difficult, too disturbing. What’s worse is that I find myself growing bitter and angry as I hear more details about this politician’s lies or that leader’s war crimes; I find myself wanting them to be swept away in fire and fury to face the wrath and judgement of God. I know there is an element of righteous anger at play here, but my heart does not confine itself to only righteous anger. What about yours? This is not the way Christ wants me or any of us to regard anyone, but to pray for their salvation, turn the other cheek, and bless those who curse us. It is far easier to be kind to someone being rude at the supermarket or saying nasty things online than it is to inwardly wish that those who are committing atrocities all over the world would find Christ and repent. Most of me, I’ll admit, doesn’t want them to find Christ and repent. Most of me thinks they don’t deserve it, that they’ve gone too far, that they only deserve wrath. My goodness, how quickly I forget … what about you? At times like these, let us all remember that each one of us that are in Christ now were once enemies of His and fully deserving nothing but His wrath. Each one of us, no matter how far along the path of sanctification, are still sinners in desperate need of the grace and forgiveness that comes with being in Christ. None of us are better than anyone else, none of us have earned the grace of God. We are simply exiles and beggars in this world showing other beggars where we found Bread. It takes a mighty man or woman to pray for the salvation of our enemies, but we see mirrored in this Psalm of Asaph the words of Christ: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven,” (Matt. 5:43-45). Prayer: Lord God, we thank you that while we were still enemies of you, Christ died for the ungodly. We thank you for loving the world that you gave us your Son to die in our place. Thank you for the gift of faith, the gift of your Holy Spirit, and the gift of eternal life. Let us always be tender-hearted and loving in all things, but especially so towards those who we consider our enemies. Keep in our minds the truth that we are saved by grace alone and pray that all who reside upon this earth might come to know you as their Lord and saviour. Amen. Song: Thank You For Saving Me (Delirious) “Rise up, O God, for all the nations belong to you.”
Observe: This Psalm depicts the court of heaven, presided over by God, who condemns the pagan gods who judge humans unfairly. The accused are divine beings, called “gods.” Whatever their status, they are condemned by the Lord God. They do not fairly treat the weak, or protect them from the wicked. Injustice shakes the earth’s foundations. God’s sentence of judgement is that these gods will die like any human being. God alone is divine, God alone is immortal, God alone judges justly. Interpret: Many cultures and religions believe that the nations are ruled over by their own gods. War between nations is war between national gods. Psalm 82 dramatizes the one true God ruling over these so-called gods, showing that they are only paper tigers. The court of heaven has only one judge, who sits and calls for justice from the accused. “Give justice to the weak and the orphan, maintain the right of the lowly and destitute.” God reveals his character of mercy in his judgment. He confronts all pretenders to divinity, and calls them to account. Finally, Yahweh strips them of their immortality. They will die like mortals. So much for the pagan gods, and “the powers that be.” Application: The daily news is full of pretenders to real power. The daily news is also full of the doings of the unjust and unmerciful who rule over others. Many act as if they are “gods.” Claims of divinity are common. Sadly, many bow down to these blowhards and windbags. But all will die, all will be judged. The One God and Lord is not only judge, but also just and merciful. His standards of mercy and justice for the poor and the powerless, will be the standard by which we are all judged, even diving beings. How would our world change if “the powers that be” acted every day in the knowledge that every one of us, so-called gods, and mortals, will face the one Judge and Lord in a final reckoning? Prayer: Strength of the weak, Defender of the needy, Rescuer of the poor, deliver us from the power of wickedness, that we may rejoice in your justice now and forever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Book of Alternative Services, p. 816) Hymn: Strong Son of God, Immortal Love (Alfred Tennyson) “I removed the burden from their shoulders; their hands were set free from the basket. In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud.”
“If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways….” Psalm 81: 6-7a, 13 Psalm 81 Observe
Interpret This beautiful Psalm is essentially a call from the Lord, to His people, to be blessed. God wants to bless and provide for His people, He is motivated by pure love. The Psalm starts with simple and genuine praise. The people see God for who He is and remember what He has done; they can only praise, worship and give thanks. In remembering their deliverance from Egypt they also remember further salvation in the provision of water at Meribah (7). In recalling the salvation God provided on this occasion we must also remember the complaints against God by the people, their quarreling with Moses and essentially God (Exodus 17: 7, Numbers 20: 13). Despite this, God in His love, miraculously provided water from a rock for His people. From this point (8), the Psalm moves to call upon the people of God. They are to have no other God, they are to submit to God and follow His ways. If they do God will provide bountifully: salvation and provision (9b); protection (14); and blessing (16). Sadly the people do not listen (8, 11a) or submit (11b), so God gives them over to follow their own devices; their stubborn hearts (12). What a call to ignore, what blessing to miss out on! Application Today’s truth is simple; God wants to bless! God the Rock, wants to provide living waters of salvation. He calls us to listen to Him, deny false gods and to submit. If we do we are blessed beyond our wildest imagination, in this life and into eternity. Yes we will have difficulties, suffering and trials but if we call on God in our distress He rescues us (7); if we ask for provision He provides (10b); if we seek protection, He is our shield (14); and He will bless beyond our needs (16). He calls us to simply follow His ways. Sadly we often allow our stubborn hearts to take us away from God (12). We need to heed His call and not allow ourselves to get to the point where He gives us over to our own desires (12 & Romans 1: 18-24). Instead let us enjoy our God, for whom we have been created, and glorify him with our lives! The Questions of Application Are you in receipt of God’s blessings? Call on Him and He will answer (Jeremiah 33: 3) Prayer Father, forgive our foolish ways, and feed us always with that living bread which is given for the life of the world, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Praise Rescuer by Rend Collective Jehovah Jireh, my provider by Don Moen Jireh by Elevation Worship and Maverick City TEXT: PSALM 80
OBSERVE: Verses 1-2: The psalmist refers to God as the Shepherd of Israel in an appeal to God to listen to their prayer. The psalmist asks God to shine forth. Verse 3: Here is the first statement of the psalm’s refrain calling on God to restore his relationship with his people by saving them. Verses 4-6: The psalmist continues the lament by asking: How Long? Verse 7: Again, the psalmist asks God to restore the relationship. Verses 8-11: Israel is likened to a vine. The vine transplanted from Egypt is an obvious reference to the Exodus. Verses 12-15: The psalmist urgently asks God to return, invoking him again with his battle name “God Almighty”. Verses 16-18: The psalmist requests that God enable their king, since God had given them this king. Verse 19: For the third and climatic time, the psalmist calls on God to restore them to his good graces. INTERPRET: The psalmist speaks on behalf of the community and asks God to save them in a manner typical of a corporate lament. This psalm is notable for its use of a repeated refrain (v. 3, 7, 19) and a striking use of the metaphor of God’s people as a vine. The historical setting that inspired this poem is uncertain but the reference to God as enthroned above the cherubim indicates a connection with the theology of the Jerusalem temple, and thus a southern Israel perspective. The psalmist calls on God during the midst of a threat, likely an attack from a northern army, to come in power to save them. They recognize that God has become distant, but now they call on him as Warrior to rescue them. This psalm speaks of God’s people’s special position and their present predicament, using the figurative language of a vine. APPLICATION: Reading this psalm from a New Testament perspective brings our attention first to the reference of the king, the “son of man you have raised up for yourself” (v. 17). While not cited in the New Testament, this passage cannot be read by a Christian without evoking a connection with Jesus, the Son of Man, who is the Christ (the anointed King). Secondly, our attention is drawn to John 15: 1-6, where Jesus presents himself as the vine and his followers as the branches. In the light of other New Testament passages in which the Kingdom is describes as a vineyard (Matt 20: 1-11; 21: 33-43), Jesus is saying that participation in the Kingdom depends on his followers being united with him. Very often, we attempt to grow the vineyard apart from the vine. This often leaves us feeling exhausted or even worse, disillusioned. Similar to the southern kingdom of Israel, we too can feel distant when we put too much faith in our own efforts or in other branches. It is the vine that gives life to the branches, and it is the vine that grows the vineyard. Jesus is the true source of life and nourishment, and it is when we abide in him that we become capable Kingdom builders. Not only is it an honour to serve him in this way, but it brings honour and glory to his name when we do. God’s light will shine upon us and our Kingdom work, when we abide in the True Vine. PRAYER: Heavenly Father, teach me to abide in Christ and He in me. Teach me to live my life as you would have me to live in total dependence upon you, which is the life of Christ being lived through me, so that I may produce that good fruit in my life that is honoring to you. In Jesus name I pray. AMEN. SONG: You Are The Vine; We Are The Branches July 4th – Les Kovacs Psalm 79
Observe: Psalm 79 laments the destruction of Jerusalem, and it was likely composed by a descendant of Asaph, who was King David’s chief music director. In the first 4 verses of the psalm, we witness the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem. The city is destroyed, and the temple is defiled. The streets are littered with the bodies of the dead which have been left as food for the birds and wild animals. The streets run with blood because there is no one to bury the dead. Their enemies heap scorn and derision on them. The next verses 5-8 are a cry for mercy. The psalmist asks how long they must endure God’s anger. He asks God to pour out His wrath on the other nations who do not revere the Lord instead, for His people are in desperate need. The following verses 9-12 plead for forgiveness of their sins and deliverance from their enemies. They ask the Lord to avenge their destruction and captivity, and to pay back seven-fold the insult their enemies have cast on God’s name. The psalm ends with verse 13 in which the people promise to praise God’s name forever, from generation to generation. Interpret: This psalm, like the books of Jeremiah and Lamentations deals with the destruction of Jerusalem as a result of the people turning away from God and following their own ways. Jerusalem had served as the capitol city for the Kingdom of Israel, and later for the southern Kingdom of Judah, for many centuries. The great buildings, the Temple, and the palaces had weathered much over the years, and probably looked like they would survive forever. They gave the people a false sense of permanence and invulnerability. The kings, priests, and people began to pay less attention to the worship of the Lord and were lulled into a sense of apathy towards Him by their great city. Although their prophets continually warned them about their bad behaviour, they ignored the warnings because they believed they were God’s chosen people so He would always protect them no matter what. As we know, eventually, God’s judgement did fall on them, and their world came crashing down around their heads in a most brutal and dreadful way when the Babylonians captured and razed the city. Too late the people realized the folly of their defiance of God as they endure the pain and the shame of the destruction of their city, their temple, and their people. Too late they remembered who the source was of their strength and prosperity. Too late they returned to the Lord to ask His forgiveness and deliverance. And in their remembrance of who He is, they will still praise Him. Application: How much like the Israelites we are! Every day of our lives we are faced with choices to make. We make our decisions based on how the outcome will affect us personally or the people we care about. Sometimes those decisions line up with God’s will, and sometimes they don’t, but either way, we usually make them based on our own wisdom and understanding, and what we believe the desired outcome should be. Following our own desires can sometimes lead to painful lessons for us to learn and disasters may result. In just about everyone’s life, there will be times when it feels like our world is crashing down around our heads. Sometimes those catastrophes are the result of our own bad choices and sometimes they are the result of outside circumstances that we have little or no control over. When it happens, to whom do you turn? Do you try to handle it on your own? Do you turn to God, but only when things have spun completely out of your control, and you have nowhere else to turn? Or do you turn to God because that’s what you always do? God loves you. He always has. He wants to have a real, on-going relationship with you. Although He Is glad when you come to Him under any circumstances, He wants you to include Him in all your daily activities, not just when you are distressed, so that He can help you align your will with His. When you spend time with God in your prayer time, quiet time, or reading scripture, you get closer to Him, and it becomes more and more natural to simply seek Him in all the different aspects of your life. The challenges in your life don’t define the depth of your relationship with God. The depth of your relationship with Him define your response to the challenges. Sing His praises day and night. Prayer: Father God, we praise you and bless the name of Jesus above all things. Help us to praise you when life is hard, as well as when they are good, for only you are steadfast and true. You are our one true hope during all of life’s ups and downs. Open our lips, Lord, and our mouths will declare your praise. This we pray in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen. Song: Praise You in this Storm – Casting Crowns https://youtu.be/sAle3dI8NYM Psalm 78
Observe The psalm begins with a command: Listen! Verses 1-8 are a preamble to a parable (2), a means of instruction, a riddle (‘dark sayings’) to solve. Without careful listening, the meaning is lost. Teaching God’s deeds must be passed on to future generations: What we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us, we will not hide these things from their children. (3,4). Asaph then recounts the history of Israel as a parable. A riddle. Why did Israel not obey the Lord? How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert! They tested him again and again, and provoked the Holy One of Israel. (40,41) Another riddle: Why is God so patient with them? Yet he, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often, and did not stir up all his wrath.(38) He fed His rebellious children, sheltered them, led them, almost to no avail. Their response was complaint. But he remembered they were only flesh (39) weak and dependent. The writer, Asaph, recalls the plagues that God sent on the Egyptians but bypassed Israel; they forgot. He drove out the pagan inhabitants as He led them to the border of His Tabernacle; they forgot. When the Ark of the Covenant was captured at Shiloh (58), God’s power broke through the enemy’s blasphemy, and again they forgot. God has had it; He deserts Ephraim in favour of Judah, the small tribe from which David arose by God’s choosing to shepherd and rule His forgetful people. This is the riddle’s answer: God’s mercy never stops. Interpret This contemplative ‘Maskil’ is the second longest Psalm (after 119). A ‘history Psalm’ recounts the story of Israel in Egypt up to David’s kingship; and teaches future generations to avoid the mistakes of their forebears. The opening verses stress the need to teach children about God. ‘Hear’ in Hebrew literally means “Stretch your ears …”, really work at listening to absorb God’s Word. Apply We would do well to review the story of Israel in the Hebrew Bible, as recounted in this Psalm. Things haven’t changed much in human history. God is so gracious and generous, but how easily we forget, lured by lesser things. Yet, He welcomes us back in love and mercy. Teaching young ones to love the Lord is a communal responsibility (thus very counter cultural): Phase One: ‘Home schooling’ by example, by reading the Word together and talking about God and His love. Phase Two: Sunday School and youth group prepare them to know the Lord, follow Jesus and take their place in the congregation. Just because the children are downstairs doesn’t imply segregation. They are learning at their own levels, taught by skilled and caring teachers (who could use some responsible help from us!). Phase Three: We welcome our grown no-longer-children into the congregation, encouraging them to find and use their gifts, praying for God’s wisdom. We’re not a nuclear family; we’re God’s extension of Himself. Ask A riddle: How can we get to know our church’s children? Pray Lord, who welcomed children for whom the Kingdom is prepared, show us how to live in You, teaching the young in years (or in faith) the joy of obedience to You and the delight of serving You, together. Sing Psalm 78 Pilgrims Psalm 78 Listen O My People - Karl Kohlhase (he sings all 72 verses, and speaks at the end. Listen patiently…) The message of this psalm is that to brood on sorrow is to be broken and disheartened, while to see God is to sing on the darkest day. Once we come to know that our years are of His right hand, there is light everywhere (G. Campbell Morgan)
Observe: Psalm 77 can be split into two parts – the first part where the psalmist cries out to God in distress, experiencing profound difficulties and feels that his cries to God are largely ignored. It is only in remembering the past that he can see anything even resembling joy. (verses 1 - 12) The second part shows the greatness of God and His faithfulness in His sanctuary and at the Red Sea. (verses 13 – 20) Interpretation and Application: Do you ever doubt God? If you do, do you ever think that you’re not a Christian because of that doubt? If you’ve been reading the psalms regularly, you know that this is not true. We human beings tend to bring God down to our level – if we forget, God must forget, if we break our promises, God must do so as well. Thankfully, that is not at all true! God is not like us. The psalmist recalls the mighty deeds of God, particularly at the Red Sea. He recalls the miracles that the children of Israel were privileged to see and tells of God’s power and might. It was God’s path that led them through the sea, not theirs. Even though they couldn’t see His footprints, He was there and led them. He was faithful then and He is faithful now. I’m sure most of you have read the poem “Footprints”. If not, I’ll do a short re-cap for you. A man dreamt that he was walking along the sand with God. He was able to see two sets of footprints – his and God’s. However, at the lowest times in his life, he only saw one set of footprints. When he asked the Lord why He would abandon him at the worst moments in his life, the Lord answered him saying: “My child, that was when I carried you – those are my footprints that you see!” Let us remember that God is faithful to the end – He leads us along the path He has for us and will never abandon us, even when we feel He has vanished. He is carrying us in His arms at our most vulnerable times and shows us His mercy, unfailing love, and His faithful promises. Great is His faithfulness! Prayer: Dear Lord, help me not to bring you down to my level, but to recognize and praise you for your constant faithfulness and love. Even when I feel abandoned, help me to put my trust in you especially as I have seen your power, might, mercy, and miracles in the past. Help me to consider all your works and meditate on your mighty deeds. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Song: Great is Thy Faithfulness |
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