Psalm 67: God’s Ongoing Witness

Today’s reading is Psalm 67.

The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Psalm 67:6-7 (ESV)

Many seem to be confused by the conclusion to this psalm. Certainly, it provides an inclusio with the beginning reference to God’s blessing. Yet, the reference to fruitful crops comes somewhat out of left field.

However, listen to what Paul told the Lystrans in Acts 14:15-17:

You should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness (ESV).

Remember, the purpose of blessing on Israel was not simply to bless Israel. Rather, God blessed Israel so Israel could be a blessing to the nations and so the nations could learn His way. Now the psalmist mentions a specific blessing. The earth has yielded its increase. Therefore, all the earth should fear him.

This final statement might be taken in two ways. It may be the psalmist is claiming “the land” has yielded its fruit as in fulfillment of the Deuteronomy 28:1-6 promise to bless Israel in their field and with the fruit of the ground if they obeyed. When God blessed Israel like this, the nations would learn to turn to Israel’s God and walk Israel’s way. However, the statement might also mean God has blessed the entire earth by giving rain and causing fruitful seasons. All the nations of the earth should recognize this as the blessing from God and turn to Him. That second possibility is essentially Paul’s argument to the Lystrans.

God has left an ongoing testimony. As we live in this world, we must be amazed at how the world works so we can be provided for. Why does this world provide food regularly? How did that happen? Surely not on accident. Surely not by chance. Surely not by purely naturalistic and materialistic means. There must be some hand behind it all, guiding it, providing for us. How amazing is that?

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 67.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 67 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Psalm 65: God the Provider

Today’s reading is Psalm 65.

Happy Thanksgiving! Are you convinced yet this is one of the best psalms we could be reading this week?

Why are we eating today? Because God has created a world that produces food for us. Because God gives the rain. Because God provides the bounty. The rain falls, the grain grows, the herds flourish because of God’s foreseeing care and guardianship.

In Deuteronomy 11:8-17, God provides Israel a promise and a warning. When they entered the Promised Land, He would no longer give them manna every day. However, though the manna ceased, He was no less the provider for them every day. He sent the rain watering the crops and allowing the herds to be fed. Israel would eat not because of their great work (though they did have to work the land). They would eat because of God’s provision.

The warning, of course, is if Israel forgot the source of their provision, He would stop. If they went after foreign gods, He would drive them off of His land into the land of those gods to see how Israel would fare. If they decided to dismiss God’s law, He would cease the rain and the provision. All of this explains why man doesn’t live by bread alone but by every word proceeding from God’s mouth.

God is worthy of praise and thanksgiving. He is the Creator, the Redeemer, and every day He is the Provider. Let us not forget it. Rather, let us be thankful.

For what do you thank God today?

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 65.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 65 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Be Patient and Establish Your Hearts

Today’s reading is James 5.

Whether James is specifically talking about God’s judgment on Israel on Jerusalem, the final judgment, or some other coming in judgment that would deliver Christians from those who oppress them, James explains what Christians need to do. We need to be patient. We need to persevere. We need to be steadfast. We don’t need to switch sides. We don’t need to give up. We don’t need to take up arms and take vengeance.

The Lord is judge. We are not. The Judge of the Earth will do what is right. Remember what Jesus promised, quoting the psalmist, “The meek will inherit the earth,” not the raging warrior. Like the prophets of old, we will suffer. Like the prophets of old, we must be patient, waiting on the Lord. Again, remember what Jesus pointed out. When we suffer as the prophets did and face our suffering as the prophets did, we will be rewarded as the prophets are. Our reward in heaven is great.

James tells us to establish our hearts. That is, strengthen them. Fix them in place. Make them firm. The devil will try to make our hearts waver. Don’t give in. Hang on. The Lord’s coming is at hand. That is, it is not so far away we can’t hang on.

Please, notice this one further point. Don’t even let the devil get a foot in the door by grumbling against your brothers and sisters. James has already addressed the fights and quarrels among his original readers. What a travesty it would be if they remained steadfast against the oppression and persecution of outsiders, but they ended up facing God’s judgment because they didn’t get along with one another in the holy faith without partiality.

Whatever you are facing today, whatever wedge the tempter is trying to drive between you and God today, whatever wedge the enemy is trying to drive between you and God’s people today, remember we have read enough Bible to know God’s purposes. He is compassionate and merciful. Hang on to Him. His plans and rewards for us are more than we can fathom.

Be patient and establish your heart. The Lord is coming.

Tomorrow’s reading is James 5.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. How do you think we can establish our hearts?
3. What makes patience, perseverance, and steadfastness tough?
4. What blessings come with patience and steadfastness?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?

God’s Word Won’t Fail

Today’s reading is Hebrews 6.

If a farmer cultivates and works land upon which rain has fallen and that land produces a useful crop, it is a blessed land. However, if instead it yields thorns and thistles, what is the farmer going to do? The farmer will burn it to the ground. The author of Hebrews is explaining what will happen to those who have experienced the blessings in Jesus but decided to abandon Him.

Our author is calling Isaiah 5:1-7 to mind. In that passage, God cleared a field and planted it with choice vines. But instead of producing good grapes, it produced wild grapes. God removed its protective hedge and broke down its wall. He quit cultivating it, pruning it, hoeing it. He allowed the briers and thorns to take it over. He stopped the rain from falling on it. Instead of blessing it with more rain and more growth, He cursed it.

It also calls to mind Isaiah 55:10-13. The Word of God going forth from the mouth of God does not return empty. It accomplishes what it was sent out to accomplish. Of course, in the context of Isaiah 55, the restoration of those who believed was in view. However, in Hebrews 6 we learn sometimes the purpose of the Word is to leave those who refuse to believe without excuse. For those who reject the Word, the Word accomplishes what it was sent to do. It will judge those who reject it.

This is the side of God’s Word many today miss. The Word says those who reject it will be judged and punished. The ground that drinks in God’s rain but produces thorns, thistles, and briers instead of a useful crop will be cursed and burned up. We must not think we can abandon the Word of God without consequence.

If we drink the Word in with faith and submission, God will grow fruit in us. We will produce a useful crop. Some of us thirtyfold, some sixty, some a hundred. God’s Word is just that powerful. It will do what God has sent it out to do. However, if we reject God’s Word, we will be judged by God’s Word. We will not avoid that. God’s Word is just that powerful. It will do what God has sent it out to do.

God’s Word won’t fail. So hang on to it and submit to it. You’ll be glad you did. I promise.

Tomorrow’s reading is Hebrews 6.

PODCAST!!!

Click here to take about 15 minutes to listen to the Text Talk conversation between Andrew Roberts and Edwin Crozier sparked by this post.

Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family

1. What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
2. Does this story about the ground’s output remind you of Jesus’s parable of the sower? How?
3. How many options does the author of Hebrews demonstrate we have in our response to God’s Word? What are they?
4. How can we help each other accept and be cultivated by God’s Word so that we can receive God’s blessing?
5. What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?