NEVER THE SAME AGAIN!

READ PSALM 103

BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!

Psalm 103:1-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

who satisfies you with good

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Is it possible to gloss over these verses and not be impressed? Can someone read them and not be transformed? How easy it is to forget all the blessings we have received in Christ! We come to Christ as His enemies: rebellious, unworthy, loving our sins, entrapped by our lusts, broken, without direction, condemned, driven by the world, slaves to our flesh, children of the devil, poor, miserable, unforgiven and unforgiving, and confused!

God forgives our iniquities, He heals our broken spirits and lives, He redeems us from the pit we are in, He lavishes us with His love, He surrounds us with His grace, He makes us His own, He rescues us from our sin, He satisfies us with good, He becomes our father and our shepherd, He gives us new goals, He cares for us, and He answers our prayers.

Ephesians 1:3-14

            Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

            In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

From this scripture we see that all God has done was based on His unilateral decision. He chose us before the foundation of the world. He planned it all without our help; He paid the price completely, He sealed it Himself, knowing that He was the only one Who could save us by grace and keep us by that same grace.

If these truths do not cause us to praise, then we have not understood them. And if we have not understood them, then we might not be saved. Can we understand the depths of these amazing realities? We can begin to grow in spiritual understanding until we reach heaven, where we will understand far more completely. In the meantime, we are continually reminded and encouraged to study God’s Word, which His Spirit uses to teach us!

Psalm 103:8,10-12

The LORD is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,

so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Not only has God saved us, but he deals with us daily according to His grace and love. He does not hold our sin over our heads! He does not forgive us only for a season! He does not set a limit to His grace. His mercy is infinite, and His forgiveness is absolutely complete, without conditions. We begin by grace and live by grace. When we stray from His care and love, He will do whatever it takes to bring us back to Him. We might live with the consequences of our sins, we might bear the scars of our transgressions, but His forgiveness is complete and eternal.

Psalm 103:13-14

As a father shows compassion to his children,

so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.

For he knows our frame;

he remembers that we are dust.

God is not surprised by our shortcomings; He made us and knows our frailties. He is compassionate at all times.

Luke 11:13

            If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

God wants us to fear Him and depend on Him!

Psalm 103:15-19

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flourishes like a flower of the field;

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children's children,

to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

Our earthly lives are so temporary; only that which is spiritual is eternal. We are so driven, so attracted by the things that will soon pass away. Our hearts should rather be attracted by those things which are eternal. We should remember and do God’s will. Our peace comes from the eternality of God. He cannot and will not change; He will be true to His promises. He rules today and will rule forever!

Psalm 103:22

Bless the LORD, all his works,

in all places of his dominion.

Bless the LORD, O my soul!

No other response will do! BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL!

DO NOT LOSE HOPE!

READ PSALM 102

GOD IS NOT ANNOYED BY OUR CRIES!

Psalm 102:9

For I eat ashes like bread

and mingle tears with my drink,

Can you imagine a more vivid description of experiencing difficulties in life? One of the wonderful aspects of the psalms is that they model for us what God wants us to do in our difficult times. He does not want us to pretend that things are easy. He does not want us to put up a front of spiritual sufficiency. He does not want us to minimize the difficulties. Honest cries and real tears do not offend God. We have a God who knows how to sympathize with us.

Hebrews 4:14-16

            Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

God is not surprised by our difficulties; He is not offended by our weakness. God was tempted with every situation that we will ever face. In fact, His trials were greater and harder than ours. His experience causes Him to be compassionate towards us. We can cry out to God, knowing that He will dispense to us mercy and grace. His goal is for us to draw near, so that we may know His compassion.

The psalmist has lost his appetite, his tears are abundant, and his days are dark. Although things are grim, he does not lose sight of where his hope lies.

Psalm 102:1-2

Hear my prayer, O LORD;

let my cry come to you!

Do not hide your face from me

in the day of my distress!

Incline your ear to me;

answer me speedily in the day when I call!

I love to think that God is inclining His ear toward His desperate children. Our cries are not drowned out by others; our needs are not minimized compared to those of others. God is able to give complete attention to us. He is not confused or limited in any way by the gravity of the situation, nor by the abundance of problems in the world. He is totally attentive to our cries.

The writer reminds us of God’s individual attention.

Psalm 102:17

he regards the prayer of the destitute

and does not despise their prayer.

God is not annoyed by the cries of His children. He is not offended by our deep despair. He certainly does not want us to live in desperation, which is why He inspired the psalmist to pen this song.

Psalm 102:18-22

Let this be recorded for a generation to come,

so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:

that he looked down from his holy height;

from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,

to hear the groans of the prisoners,

to set free those who were doomed to die,

that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD,

and in Jerusalem his praise,

when peoples gather together,

and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

Reading of God’s faithfulness throughout the generations needs to have an impact on our understanding of His trustworthy character. As we watch the children of Israel, we constantly see God’s faithfulness in spite of their wandering. We see God’s forgiveness and mercy in spite of their repetitious sins. We see God’s restoration after seasons of treachery and rebellion. God wants us to abandon ourselves into His careful and caring hands.

We also need to remember that God is infinite.

Psalm 102:25-28

Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish, but you will remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

but you are the same, and your years have no end.

The children of your servants shall dwell secure;

their offspring shall be established before you.

God wants to be our foundation, our surety, our hope… our all.

We are blessed when we trustingly throw ourselves into the arms of our eternal God! Difficulties and desperation do not surprise or dismay our God. All He wants to hear is: “Not my will but your will be done!”

God’s arms are long enough to reach down to us, strong enough to carry us, gentle enough to show us His great love for us! 

SERVE – WORSHIP – REFLECT – THANK - REMEMBER

READ PSALM 100

LIVE IN LIGHT OF WHO GOD IS!

Psalm 100:1-2

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Three straightforward commands: Praise! Serve! Worship!

The first one implies a godly attitude toward Jehovah. It might be helpful to think about what will therefore not be present in our lives, when they are filled with joyful praise: Ingratitude, bitterness, anger, unhappiness, strife, complaining, and quarreling cannot coexist with praise.

‘Serve’ is an action! Faithful serving is the result of careful planning; it requires being attentive to needs and it implies sacrifice. Our service will always be weak if we do not keep in mind that we are serving our Lord, and not people. The needs of people will be met, but our focus point needs to be Christ! When people are our focus point, we will soon be disappointed by their lack of reciprocation and gratitude.

‘Worship’ is a way of life, not an event. We too often tend to look at worship as a church event, in which we can participate or be spectators. The music and/or the environment become our focal point. Reality is that we continually live in the presence of God, and we should continually have an attitude of praise toward the Lord because of who He is and what He does in our lives. Corporate worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ ought to simply be a public expression of our daily devotion to the Lord!

As we rehearse these commands, we realize that all too often we fail to obey them from day to day. And that is the reason the psalmist invites us to focus on our relationship with God.

Psalm 100:3

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, and we are his;

we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

These are things we must know: The Jehovah is God! God made us! We are His people! We are His sheep!

Jehovah is the creator, the One who controls and sustains the world. He is perfectly aware of all, completely wise in His assessments, totally in control of all, and lovingly providential towards His creation.

God has created each person; He is intimately aware of all needs, He knows exactly what each person can bear, and what everyone is going through. He does not need to study us to find out: He made us!

We are His, not someone else’s! We are His property; our wise God will always deal with much care for His own.

We are His people; we are part of a community. We represent Him because we are part of His own. Scriptures remind us so often of our privileged position, to have become children of God.

God saw us when we were sheep without a shepherd and had compassion on us. He is committed as the Good Shepherd to care for us, to protect us, and to lead us.

Careful reflection on these truths cannot leave us indifferent! We must show a visible response to His kindness!

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,

and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Gratefulness and praise are the only acceptable responses to God. Thankfulness and praise should be springing from our lips continually. People around us should be very aware of our dependence on, and satisfaction with, what the Lord is doing in our lives.

Yet there are times when we are going through trials and difficulties, that we may be tempted to question the character of God and the motives that drive His dealings with us.

Psalm 100:5

For the LORD is good;

his steadfast love endures forever,

and his faithfulness to all generations.

The psalmist reminds us that God is good – perfectly loving – faithful forever.

God is holy; there is no hint of evil in His motives or actions. All that happens to us is funneled through His perfect and loving plans for our lives. Bad things can happen to us, but God intends them to produce that which is good in our lives.

God’s perfect love will endure forever. God does not love us in exchange for our behavior or ability to love Him back. He set His love upon us in eternity past, when we could not offer anything to Him. In fact, He loved us in spite of the fact that He knew we would rebel and offend Him with everything in our lives. His perfect love cannot be deterred by our actions!

God will not change. He will be faithful to His character and to every promise He has made. Our faithfulness does not drive God, for He is faithful to Himself.

Our service, praise and worship are dependent upon knowing our God, remembering what He has done, and resting in His unchanging character.

So, now, go out and live in light of these truths!

WE CANNOT BE INDIFFERENT TO GOD’S HOLINESS!

READ PSALM 99

WE MUST BE CHANGED FOREVER

Psalm 99:1-5

The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble!

He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake!

The LORD is great in Zion;

he is exalted over all the peoples.

Let them praise your great and awesome name!

Holy is he!

The King in his might loves justice.

You have established equity;

you have executed justice

and righteousness in Jacob.

Exalt the LORD our God;

worship at his footstool!

Holy is he!

God reigns from His throne. He is exalted over every one, He is great, has a holy name, He is holy, He is just! He is set apart – different from everyone – pure – mighty – glorious – just – faithful… the list is inexhaustible and overwhelming. 

Too often, we approach our God in our own supposed sufficiency and with superficiality.

When Daniel saw the glory of God, he fell on his face, without strength. When John saw the Lord, he fell and worshiped.

Revelation 1:17-18

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

When Isaiah had his vision, he could not remain indifferent.

Isaiah 6:1-7

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:

            “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;

            the whole earth is full of his glory!”

            And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!”

Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

           

If seeing and understanding who God is does not drive us to our knees and expose to us the immensity of our sin, then something is not right. No man who has his eyes opened to understand the holiness of God can be indifferent to his sin. The grace of God in atoning for our sin should be so very evident in contrast to the standards of His holiness, that it should change us forever!

Praise and worship can be the only reaction. God is HOLY!

True believers know the gravity of their sins and know that if they can approach God in any way, it cannot be by anything they do or say, but only by the grace of God. To believe that there is anything good in us, or that we can do anything good to attract God’s favor, is total foolishness. In fact, it is a total deception.

Psalm 99:6-9

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,

Samuel also was among those who called upon his name.

They called to the LORD, and he answered them.

In the pillar of the cloud he spoke to them;

they kept his testimonies

and the statute that he gave them.

O LORD our God, you answered them;

you were a forgiving God to them,

but an avenger of their wrongdoings.

Exalt the LORD our God,

and worship at his holy mountain;

for the LORD our God is holy!

When God speaks, we must listen and obey! God is the only one Who forgives, but He does it only when we approach Him on His terms, with appropriate humility and with repentance of our sins.

God’s holiness drives us to our knees when we understand it, for it causes true repentance and godly sorrow for sin. It also produces unending gratitude and worship, and leads us to yearn to walk in holiness.

When Paul encountered the pure brilliance of Christ on the way to Damascus, he fell on his face and he was never the same again.

If we truly reflect on God’s holiness, we cannot continue to embrace sin in our lives. We cannot justify it! May our lives be different because we have seen the only true God through the Scriptures!

            

DOES NATURE DO A BETTER JOB THAN US?

READ PSALM 98

PRAISE TO GOD SHOULD BE UNCONTAINABLE!

Psalm 98:1-3

Oh sing to the LORD a new song,

for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him.

The LORD has made known his salvation;

he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

to the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the salvation of our God.

God has done marvelous things! He has provided salvation, He has revealed His grace to us, he has revealed His righteousness to the nations, and He has shown love and faithfulness to Israel. That is why they sang a new song to Him.

Ephesians 1:3-6

            Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

           

Titus 2:11-14

            For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

Titus 3:3-7

            For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Romans 1:16-17

            For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

           

Romans 8:37-39

            No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have the same reasons to worship God that Israel did! Have these truths transformed your heart and life?

Psalm 98:4-6

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;

break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,

with the lyre and the sound of melody!

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

Are these responses visible in your life? If you are not joyful and grateful, the problem is not with God, but with you! From the heart the mouth speaks. It is time to examine your heart. It’s time to repent. It’s time to praise!

Psalm 98:7-9

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

the world and those who dwell in it!

Let the rivers clap their hands;

let the hills sing for joy together

before the LORD, for he comes

to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity.

Nature praises God daily; only the foolish man does not see the works of God.

The believer should always be praising God, and our praise should be audible and clear!

Hebrews 13:20-21

            Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.      

WORRYING PEOPLE DO NOT PRAISE GOD!

READ PSALM 97

GOD IS IN TOTAL CONTROL EVEN WHEN WE FORGET

Psalm 97:1-5

The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice;

let the many coastlands be glad!

Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;

righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

Fire goes before him

and burns up his adversaries all around.

His lightnings light up the world;

the earth sees and trembles.

The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,

before the Lord of all the earth.

What kind of desperation would envelop our lives, if we didn’t know and believe that God reigns! What kind of fool believes that destiny is in his own hands? We say that we believe that God reigns, but then we continue to worry. We lay awake at night, we run around in the day, as if we could control our future or the events that happen around us.

We worry about things that are not true. Worrying about the future includes our creative imagining about what the future will look like. We are not prophets! We worry about our ability to come up with solutions to the future catastrophes that we have invented. What a vain and unedifying way of thinking!

Nature is in the hands of God and trembles at His power, so why do we fret? If our fear is that God will allow bad things to happen to us, then the psalmist reminds us that righteousness and justice are the foundations of His throne. Everything God does is perfect. No man can question it.

You and I are living the situations that God has ordained for us; our future will be filled with only what God will allow. God is the Lord of all the earth!

Matthew 6:25a

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on.

Matthew 6:27

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

           

Matthew 6:34

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus, Himself, commanded us not to worry. Our worry produces nothing good, and causes us to carry weights that distract us from the responsibilities of the day.

The unbelieving world lives, daily chasing their own gods.

Psalm 97:7

All worshipers of images are put to shame,

who make their boast in worthless idols;

worship him, all you gods!

Psalm 14:1

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds,

there is none who does good.

Living without an awareness or belief in God produces only sin. Our lack of trust in God and our fear also produces sin. Why would we ever allow our finite minds to rule our lives?

Psalm 97:10-12

O you who love the LORD, hate evil!

He preserves the lives of his saints;

he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Light is sown for the righteous,

and joy for the upright in heart.

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,

and give thanks to his holy name!

What God wants us to do right now is to love Him, and therefore hate all that is evil. Our trust, our rest, needs to be rooted in God and His promises. God wants our paths to be illuminated by His word. God does not expect us to walk in darkness. Matters and events we don’t know about are hidden to us, because God is preparing us for when they will be made known. And He will then give us grace to live through what He has ordained.

The believer should rejoice in the Lord, who will do all in complete control and justice. Only thankfulness should spring out of our hearts, because although we do not know the future, we do know the One who holds it. And we know that He will not allow us to go through anything that He has not prepared us, with His grace, to bear.

When you and I start to worry, we must repent and fill our minds, instead, with the Word!

ARE PEOPLE MORE AWARE OF THE TEAM YOU LOVE OR THE GOD YOU WORSHIP?

READ PSALM 96

THE REDEEMED ARE NOT SILENT!

Psalm 96:1-3

Oh sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all the earth!

Sing to the LORD, bless his name;

tell of his salvation from day to day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

his marvelous works among all the peoples!

The psalmist is clearly reminding us that our salvation is to be joyfully announced! And not only that, for it should become a daily proclamation about the Lord’s glory.

We remind ourselves often that we should live to the glory of God, and that we should do all things to His glory. But what does that look like? What does it mean?

1 Corinthians 10:31

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

In the context, Paul was reminding the believers that even what they ate demonstrated who they were glorifying.

1 Corinthians 10:23-24

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

Just because something is not “wrong” does not mean that it will bring glory to God, though.

1 Corinthians 10:31-33

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

Everything we do should be done in light of bringing others to Christ. The home we live in, the car we drive, the way we dress, the things we participate in - all have an impact on people. Our motivation cannot, should not, be ourselves!

These are certainly not new concepts for us.

Colossians 3:16-17

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Our life is to be lived with Christ in the center, and that is displayed when we choose to  put others before ourselves.

Glorifying God is not something private between us and God; it is a whole life lived in light of who God is.

Psalm 96:4-6

For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;

he is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,

but the LORD made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before him;

strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

So many times, the fear of man drives our lack of open praise and worship. Why would we live in quiet fear of the reactions of people who worship worthless idols? We know the God of the universe, Who has transformed our lives!

We live in a world where mortal, sinful men are worshiped and proclaimed by their fans wearing jerseys advertising their names. Many people proclaim allegiance to college and professional teams of every sport and game. There is no shame for them to scream cheers at a game on TV, when the unhearing athletes are miles away, but we sheepishly become quiet, when an enthusiastic proclamation of our faith could bear wonderful eternal consequences in the lives of men! And our LORD always hears our praise!

Paul had no doubt about what his duty was.

Romans 1:14-15

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

Paul had a sense of urgency, a sense of responsibility that too many of us have lost!

We must also remember that as we ascribe glory to God in the midst of people, we are also proclaiming coming judgment to the nations.

Psalm 96:10-13

Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!

Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;

he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;

let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

let the field exult, and everything in it!

Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

before the LORD, for he comes,

for he comes to judge the earth.

He will judge the world in righteousness,

and the peoples in his faithfulness.

The coming judgment of God will be final; it will come with no escape. We know that every person will be held accountable before God.

So the question we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we have done our part in proclaiming the righteousness and faithfulness of God to lost people. Our voices need to heard, and our lives need to match the words we say.

Knowing that God is righteous and faithful in His judgment gives us much peace, because He will also be faithful to the promises of His grace and forgiveness toward those who repent and turn to Him in faith.

As we go out today, let’s ask God to help us in proclaiming about Him to those around us!

OUR COMPLAINING IS ALWAYS DIRECTED AGAINST GOD!

READ PSALM 95

A LIFE OF WORSHIP BEGINS AT THE FEET OF JESUS!

Psalm 95:1-2   

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;

let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;

let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!

Take time right now to worship God! Take time to reflect on Jehovah. Think about His character; remind yourself of who God is. As you are refreshed and sobered by these thoughts, meditate on the fact that He is your firm foundation and Savior. The most holy God has revealed Himself to you, changed your heart, and brought you from darkness to light. Taking time to think on these things will produce gratefulness in us. Take time to thank God specifically for His many attributes, especially His astounding grace. Having then prayed, our joy should be full and we should be praising God by now.

Did you do it? Did you take time to go through these steps?

The writer goes on to remind us that God is the Creator.

Psalm 95:3-5

For the LORD is a great God,

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the depths of the earth;

the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,

and his hands formed the dry land.

We need to remember that God has created all, that there is nothing that is not His, and that He is in control of all. God’s creation culminated with the creation of man.

Psalm 95:6-7

Oh come, let us worship and bow down;

let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture,

and the sheep of his hand.

These truths should produce worship. In worship, we recognize who God is and we remember who we are. The normal reaction should be to bow down in respect and awe over our privilege. The God of the Bible is OUR God! Does it make a difference in your life? We are His sheep, He has promised to provide, He cares for us personally, for He holds us in His hand!

John 10:14-15

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

We are privileged to have an intimate relationship with Christ, and we are cared for. The one who did not spare His Son to purchase us - will He not have special care for those who cost Him so much?

Does God care about our reaction to these truths?

           

Psalm 95:7-9

Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,

as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,

when your fathers put me to the test

and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

The Israelites questioned the love of God when they were in the desert without water. Their complaining angered God. In fact, another passage of the Bible explains that their complaint, in actuality, was questioning the presence of God in their midst.

Complaining is the result of a hardened heart; a heart that has grown cold to the truths that this psalm has presented to us. God punished the children of Israel because they saw the works of God and doubted Him.

Our complaining, ultimately, is always directed to God! When we complain we are questioning the presence of God in our lives. We are questioning His wisdom, His power, and His love for us.

Has your heart grown cold or bitter? Are you testing God with your behavior? When this psalm was written, God’s intention was that we would not repeat the same sin. Maybe you have grown accustomed to complaining, assuming and you have felt that it was really not a big deal. The reality is that God views complaining as sin.

I know I have been guilty of this and that I am very prone to this sin. Careful meditation on who God is, His salvation, and His care for me are the best deterrents to my questioning about whether God is really active in my life.

Let us go out today with grateful praise on our lips!