Psalm 118:24–Everything You Need To Know About Today

Psalm 118:24–"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

This verse encompasses everything we need to know about every single day.  More accurately, this verse prescribes for us a course of action for every day: rejoicing and being glad every day.  Why? because the Lord has made it.  Bad day? Rejoice and be glad.  Great day? Rejoice and be glad.  Rainy day? Rejoice and be glad.  Sunny day? Rejoice and be glad.

Why? Because the Lord has made it.

Be Still And Know

Psalm 46:10–"Be still and know that I am God."

Perhaps you are fretting over how to pay the next set of bills.  Maybe you are too busy playing with your iPhone to notice the 'real' life going on around you.  Or perhaps your days are so filled with activity and stress that it would seem like a tremendous tragedy for there to be a moment of genuine quiet.  Whatever your circumstance, I am sure that this verse speaks an enormous truth just as true as when it was first written.

There is no doubt that life is full of bustling and noise.  And the loud hurry of it all is surely capable of overwhelming our existence.  This is why so many look to a constant stream of distraction or inebriation; anything to take the edge off and prevent our eyes and ears from seeing and hearing the profound, shattering truth:

God is.

Because of this, I urge you today to take time, a moment or an hour, to be still and know.  Turn everything off and listen.  Listen for the still, pleasant whisper of God's voice as He calls out to us. Just be still and know that He is God.

Psalm 1:1-2–Blessing and Meditating on the Law

Psalm 1:1-2–"Blessed is the walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night."

I find this passage, which begins the book of the Psalms, to be one of the most wonderful expressions of what devotion looks like in the life of a believer.  It speaks of a contrast: that the blessed man delights in the law of the Lord and meditates upon it day and night versus the un-blessed man that would rather sit under the counsel of the wicked spend their time in the presence of sinners and scoffers.  The reality that this passage introduces the book of covenant praise is a sobering reminder to us as we read the psalms that God desires us to engage with His Word and to meditate on who He is, to delight in what He has said.  When we do these things, when we delight in the Lord, He has promised to make us blessed.

Praise be to God that He has made it so!

Psalm 84:1-2–My Soul Longs For Your Courts, O Lord!

Psalm 84:1-2–"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!  My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God."

There is something here about praise and perspective, but mostly this passage is about priority.  The passage, in some ways, asks and answers the question of 'what does your heart desire above all else?'

I have to honestly ask myself if I would agree that my soul longs to the point of swooning as I desire the presence of God.  But isn't that the degree and intensity of passion that this verse is addressing?  In some ways, it is a statement of pure praise, but in another sense it is a call to praise, an exhortation to a deeper devotion, if you will.

Let us take this verse under prayerful consideration as we would seek to love the Lord with every bit of our beings.

Psalm 103:1–Bless the Lord

Psalm 103:1–"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name!"

Amen!  That's about all I can say in response to reading this verse. Yes, this is a statement of worship. And yes, it is poetic.  But more than that, this is a prayer; a request that God would grant us a heart and soul that wouldst utterly desire to worship His name.  In truth, this is a central component to the Christian message: that God would transform us in such a way that every part of us would sing out in absolute praise and adoration to His name.

This should be our own prayer, too!

Bless the Lord!

Psalm 95:1-2–Come to Him With Songs of Praise!

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!"

This is as much a prescription for worship as it is an exhortation.  It is a simple thing to read, that we are to make a joyful noise to the Lord, but it is another thing altogether for us to actually make a joyful noise to the Lord.  However, it would seem that this is precisely what this passage is compelling us to do.  When considering this, I ask myself: what does it mean to make a joyful noise to the Lord?

My response to the question is that making a joyful noise to the Lord requires at least two things: (1) a right perspective, and (2) a willing heart.  A right perspective means that we would see the greatness of God and the distinct beauty of His creation.  This can only result in a response of awe and praise.  It is at this point that a willing heart leaps into action, so that we can pair that praise with deed.

In a sense, this is the very essence of worship.  Let us make it our aim to bring a sincere joyful noise to the Lord!

Psalm 119:105–A Lamp for Our Paths

Psalm 119:105–"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

This is one of those great verses.  And while many a song has been written because of this verse, but how much do we actually agree with it?  Is God's Word really the lamp for our feet and light for our path?

To be sure, this is about attitude and posture as much as it is about commitment.  We have to intentionally decide that God will in order to make the truth of this verse a reality for our lives.  It demands that we would make the Word of God the very real guide for our lives.  This is about considering every decision, action, and thought with an eternal perspective, considering the everlasting weight and value of everything we thing and do.

Let us make this verse the plea and cry of our lives as we strive to put the Word of God before us always!

Psalm 119:18–Asking to be Opened

Psalm 119:18–"Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law."

It is a simple thing to ask.  But is it as simple a task to ask for the right things.  In the case of the above verse, the most profound thing that we could ask for is eyes to see what God has desired for us to see. This is a prayer, a request for vision.  More directly, it is the request for 'right' vision to see what God has made and who He is.  We should also pray for this just as the psalmist has.  Let us take some time to make this request our own!

Psalm 95:6–Let Us Bow Before the Lord

Psalm 95:6–"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us knell before the Lord, our Maker!"

Reverence, the sincere act of offering honor and adoration, is an aspiration that we have perhaps lost as a people.  Our entertainment barely bats its eyes to criticize or parody any form of reverence and is even apt to deface God Himself if it can be construed as some joke.  But this is, in the end, a lie told to us by the father of lies, Satan.  It is a lie that deceives into believing that we are no longer creatures created by the Holy Lord, but that we are, in fact, creators of our own selves.  Again, this is a lie.

The truth is that we are creatures that have been created by God Himself.  This truth informs everyone one of our decisions and scenarios in life, whether we accept it in belief or not.  It is, it turns out, inescapable.  Yet much of our lives is predicated upon the deceptions of pride and vanity so that our time is expelled on uselessness, meaninglessness, and shallow superficiality.  But it was never meant to be so!

God has ordained that we bow before Him in humble praise and adoration.  This is not for His benefit, but for ours.  Humans are fueled by offering worship just as cars run on gasoline.  It is important, then, that we constantly remind ourselves of this truth so that we can run at optimum performance by putting in the 'right' fuel, which turns out to be a steady diet of reverently praising the Holy Lord Almighty,

Let us then always keep this focus before us and take seriously the call to worship in our lives.

Psalm 119:14–Delighting in the Testimonies of God

Psalm 119:14: "In the way of Your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches."

This verse is not alone in expressing this content, but something about it made me stop and think today.  I had to ask: "Do you delight in the Lord and in His testimonies more than the choicest riches?"

Maybe you aren't as convicted by this simple question as I was but when I asked myself, I had to pause.  I have to admit, that it is not always the case that I delight in the testimonies of the Lord as much as in the riches of this world (by riches of this world I mean mostly food and internet).

But I want to; I want to desire the things of God above everything.

My prayer, then, for today is this:

Lord, please help me.  Please sanctify my priorities that I may desire You above all else.
Amen.

Psalm 46:1–God is Our Refuge

Psalm 46:1: "God is our refuge and strength, our very present help in times of trouble."

Trouble comes; there is no escaping this fact of life.  But how we handle this fact, how deal with the troubles that accompany this life, perhaps speaks more acutely about who we are and where we receive our strength from in the end.  To be sure, the only source of strength that is without reservation is, in the end, God Himself.  Therefore, it is all the more keen and necessary that we firmly fix our roots in Christ and in Christ alone.

Psalm 149:4–The Lord Takes Pleasure in His People

Psalm 149:4: "For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the humble with salvation."

It is a pleasant thought to consider that God delights in His children and that His delight radiates blessing to those in whom He takes pleasure. Additionally, those who are His people have been adorned with salvation as a by-product, so to speak, of His relationship.  This is to say that we, Christians, are blessed because God is pleased to bless us.  In a sense, then, our greatest joy is a reflection of His great joy in us.  Let us always keep this before us!

Psalm 119:114–God is the Hiding Place

Psalm 119:114: "You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word."

This had been said many times–several times by me in the last month–but life can be overwhelming.  From jobs, to bills, to kids, to volunteering, to being a spouse, and all the other pressures that weigh on us, it is easy to be overwhelmed or to feel like all the strains are continually attacking us at every turn.  Because of this it is a good thing, a necessary thing to remember this verse and those like it.

Our hope is made secure in God and in God alone.  It is always a comfort, then, to be reminded that we are not alone in the muck and mire of this life; we have God as our hope and our hiding place amidst the storms.  Let us then always seek to rest our hope in God and in Him alone!

Psalm 30:4–Joy Comes With the Morning

Psalm 30:4: "For His anger is but for a moment, and His favor is for a lifetime.  Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."

 I love this verse.  It is a famous passage but its fame does not overshadow in the slightest its beauty.  This verse speaks of God's discipline in anger but that it is also paired with His awesome and comforting compassion.  It speaks of seasons, of the undulating reality of the human experience.  But it also consoles us to know that this sort of ebb-and-flow was, in fact, by design, His design.  There is, thus, always hope to be found in God no matter the emotional harvest or drought.  Hope with the morning.

Psalm 139:13-14–Formed By God

Psalm 139:13-14: "For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother's womb.  I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well."

The book of Psalms is a book of worship, most of it as prayers and praises sung directly to God.  This particular chapter, the 139th, deals exclusively with God's uttermost knowledge of us.  From the inner parts and depths of our beings to the most secret desires and thoughts: God knows them all.  There is no bit of ourself small enough or insignificant enough to escape His sight.  After all, do you know how many hairs are on your head?  He does (Luke 12:7).  Nothing escapes His sight and knowledge; nothing.  And nothing could be more joyful than this truth!

Psalm 118:24–Rejoice this Day

Psalm 118:24: "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

After the seemingly-unending Minnesota winter, spring has arrived (at least for now).  And on days like today that are warm and bright, days that require sunglasses and even, dare I say, a t-shirt, on these a single verse comes to mind.  Truly, days like these should be days of praise and of worship as we take joy in them.  Much more could be said but, frankly, it doesn't seem wise to waste a beautiful day like this!  Amen and may your day be filled with joy and life!

Psalm 27:4–One Thing I Ask

Psalm 27:4: "One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple."

Desire satisfied, that is what this passage is all about; the highest of desires, to be sure.  To dwell in God's house, to gaze upon His beauty, and to inquire in His holy temple, perhaps there is no set of higher virtues.  But when you read this verse do you ask the same self-probing question that I do: "Is God worth this much to me?"

While I can honestly assert, to my discredit, that I do not always desire the things of God first and foremost, I can claim with certainty that I want to.  My prayer is to yearn for God more than I currently do, to not be satisfied with my current inclinations to His glory but to truly wish for a greater longing, a more sincere pining, and a deeper thirst for all that He is.  But there is hope!

This passage is not merely a statement, it is also a prayer, an exclamation of longing to know God and His glory more intimately, more fully.  And by the grace of God we can proclaim that He and His presence is the one thing we ask for, the one thing we seek after!

Psalm 62:7: On God Rests my Glory

Psalm 62:7: "On God rests my glory and my salvation; my mighty rock, my refuge is God."

This is one verse among many in the Psalms that convey this one clear point: God is my refuge and He alone is my salvation.  In fact, it could be said that this simple statement forms the whole theological backdrop of Scripture.  But this is no parrot-talk.  It is the truth for the faithful.  It is fundamental to the covenant keepers whose hope is made sure and whose life is sustained in Christ Jesus and He alone.  Let us then remember on whom our glory rests as it is to form the backbone for our lives.

Waiting is the Hardest Part

Psalm 27:14: "Wait for the Lord; be strong , and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

There is perhaps nothing more challenging than the commandment to wait on the Lord.  Today, this evening, the Holy Spirit spoke to me a clear message to wait.  This message, to be sure, is met with a conflicting emotion within me not to wait.  But, luckily, the Spirit of the Lord is strong and I am overwhelmed to listen to His voice.  In the end, however, waiting is not a passive ordeal.  It is an active pursuit of God's will in prayer and Bible study.  So now, at this point, I am here waiting on Him.  Although this may not be an instructive blog as much as an informative one, this is where I am.  I am waiting.  I will keep everyone informed on the outcome for I know that God will guide my steps!

Sweet, Precious Time

Time is the most precious commodity.  It cannot be saved.  It cannot be purchased or bartered.  It cannot be kept.  Above all else, though, time is not an inherent right; it is a gift, the most precious of gifts.  Time is immaterial, yet real.  It is a passage of moments, a sequence of successive events.  Time is, at its heart, how we measure and quantify this phenomena.  Yet to think of time as merely a ruler for gauge the length of sequential moments would be to betray the fundamental nature of time: namely, that we only have so much of it.

Every human being is allotted the same 24-hour day.  We take this profound truth without much thought and little philosophizing.  In reality, we only ever consider the passage of time when its scarcity conflicts with our own convenience, or when our schedules seem "overstuffed" like pouring water into a full glass as it continues to overflow.

There is a rarity to time.  Because there will never be more now that there is.  No one can ever have two minutes in a single second or a year saved up for later use.  This is a simple and deep truth.  However, despite this reality, many people neglect the ramifications: if a person has only so much priceless time at his/her disposal, how he/she chooses to use that time is of the utmost importance.

This is what Paul means: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (Eph 5:15-16).

Pair that with the psalmist: "O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am!" (Psa 39:4).  And again, "So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom." (Psa 90:12).

In the end, there is no greater resource to any person than the resource of time.  It is necessary for all growth, for all healing, for all learning, for all relationships.  It could be said, with certainty, that without time--one of the great gracious gifts of God--no life could be, for it is in the confines of time that life occurs and is experienced.  Let us then never forget this startling truth, but let it burn within us an urgency to our devotion to the will of God!