Psalm 150

Reading for September 29, 2012          Psalm 150

We come now to the conclusion of our reading of the Book of Psalms. In our journey of approximately five months, we have found the psalms to be very helpful to us in our quest to make the life in Christ our way of life.  We began our reading of the Psalms with a call of the psalmist to delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. The law of the LORD is God’s nature. God is love. God’s nature is to forgive. God’s law includes His love that cannot fail, His Word that does not return to Him void, and His mercies that never come to an end. Psalm 1 pronounces God’s blessing on those who take time to reflect on all the ways they have experienced God’s law, His nature in their life.

In Psalm 148, I noted the psalmist used the word praise eleven times in fourteen verses. In Psalm 150, he doubled that by using the word praise thirteen times in six verses. From beginning to end, the Psalms have affirmed over and over again, that our God is worthy of our praise. The psalmist wants us to sing and shout, dance and be jubilant in our praise. Why? Because, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23 NRSV). Each and every day, as sure as the sun rises, God’s mercy and grace are more than sufficient to meet each and every need of our life. Truly, “my cup runneth over” (Psalm 23:5 KJV). Let us, with jubilation, join the unending chorus,

“Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 150:6

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for   October 1, 2012         

The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ     Page 3

John 1:1-5, 10-14 

Psalm 149

Reading for September 27, 2012          Psalm 149

Psalm 149 is two dimensional, in that it is encouragement today for our worship of God, and our witness for Christ to the world. Our sword is not literal; our sword is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:17) In Revelation 19, the Apostle John teaches us that the Christian witness for God in times of persecution is the most powerful witness for God in the world. The faithfulness of God’s people in standing firm on the Word of God is crucial to the defeat of the forces of evil. Ultimately, Jesus has the final victory over evil, and that leads us to the second dimension.

In Revelation 21, we get a glimpse of what it will be like when the persecution of God’s people has ended. With the ultimate and final defeat of evil, God’s people will be completely unrestrained in worship. Worship will not be confined to times and places; worship will be a state of being as God is worshiped through everything that a person does, wherever they may be.

The followers of Christ have been commissioned to speak God’s Word and God’s truth into this present darkness. We remain diligent in our responsibility to honor God as we wait for Christ to come in final victory. One thing these two eras have in common is our unending praise for God our Savior.

Praise the Lord!

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for September 29, 2012          Psalm 150

Psalm 148

Reading for September 26, 2012          Psalm 148

Psalm 148 appears to be simple in form and purpose; however, I see three quite compelling lessons.

First, the psalmist used the word praise eleven times in fourteen verses. Certainly he is communicating the importance of our continually living with an attitude of praise for God, and for God’s creation.

Secondly, I see the psalmist extoling the virtue of unity within God’s creation. The prose here reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s assertion that “creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:21-22). Someday the lion and the lamb, all creation, even the “small scurrying animals” (verse 10) will sing praise to God in perfect unity and perfect harmony.

The third lesson is that while the wonders of God’s creation are sufficient for our praise, verse 14 makes clear that the icing on the cake is the wonder of God’s love for humankind, “He has made his people strong, honoring his faithful ones.“

What else is there to say but,

Praise the Lord!

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for September 27, 2012          Psalm 149

Psalm 147

Reading for September 25, 2012          Psalm 147

In previous meditations (Psalm 11 and 125), I have referred to the Age of Enlightenment, which was birthed with the scientific and industrial age, approximately three hundred years ago.  With the coming of this Age, there was a seismic shift in the worldview of the Christian faith in Western Civilization. This shift was manifested in two ways. First, the Christian faith contained at its core, an affirmation of the core foundation of Judaism, which is known as the “The Shema Yisrael.” Based on Deuteronomy 6:4, this prayer proclaims, “Hear O Israel, the LORD our God is One LORD.”  In succeeding generations since the dawn of the Age of Enlightenment, Christian worldview has shifted away from the uniqueness of God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. In today’s culture, God, the Father of our Lord, Christ Jesus, is just a generic god, one of many.

The second shift was in the nature of God’s involvement in the affairs of humankind. Prior to the Enlightenment, the Christian faith believed God directed the course of human affairs, as well as the ebb and flow of nature. Post Enlightenment, God is viewed as more of a watchmaker. He created all that is, wound it up and left it to run on its own. Psalm 147 is an eloquent reminder that God, who established His people Israel, “has not done this for any other nation” (Psalm 147:20). God’s relationship with Israel, and His children, the followers of Jesus, is most assuredly unique in the entire universe. The psalmist celebrates that God is not far from us, uncaring about our lives:

The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem

    and bringing the exiles back to Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted

    and bandages their wounds.

He covers the heavens with clouds,

    provides rain for the earth,

    and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.

He sends peace across your nation

    and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.

Psalm 147:2-3, 8, and 14

The Age of Enlightenment has produced blessing after blessing for humankind, not the least of which is overcoming the power of superstition that crippled the development of civilization. However, respect for the depth of human intellect is not mutually exclusive with a deep and abiding faith in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Perhaps greater than any other theologian, John Wesley was able to find a mutually inclusive faith when he ordered his theological studies through a balance of: Scripture, Reason, Tradition and Experience (Known as the Wesleyan Quadrilateral).

Praise the Lord!

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

What word or phrase in today’s reading of the Psalms

 attracts your attention?

Reflect on that word or phrase.

What insights come to you?

How does this passage touch your life today?

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are available by email. Contact me at Amkrom812@gmail.com to be added to the email list.

This BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription

Reading for September 26, 2012          Psalm 148