Psalm 119:65-80: Those Who Fear You Will See Me and Rejoice

Today’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 65-80).

The Other Side of the Coin

Last week, in HETH, we learned we need to become friends with those who fear the Lord:

I am a companion of all who fear you,
of those who keep your precepts.
Psalm 119:63 (ESV)

In YODH, we flip the coin. The psalmist not only talks about which friends we should choose, but talks about the kind of person we need to be to attract the kind of friends we need.

Those who fear you shall see men and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word (vs. 74).

Let those who fear you turn to me,
that they may know your testimonies (vs. 79).

Our psalmist wanted to be the kind of person God-fearers would be excited about. Sadly, some Christians today seem to have a very different perspective. They think the goal is for insolent, rebellious sinners to look at us and rejoice. Now, don’t get me wrong. We are to love all people. We should live the gospel in a way that all people are attracted to it. But we need to know we will not ever make the gospel cool to the worldly-minded. I’m sure there will be exceptions, but in general, the worldly will not look at us and rejoice. They will mock, belittle, disparage, persecute, ignore, reject. And, frankly, if the worldly-minded look at us and rejoice, we’re very likely doing it wrong.

However, when we pursue the word as this psalmist does, God-fearers will rejoice over us and with us. We will be an encouragement to them as they are to us. In the face of the affliction we endure, we’ll need that encouragement.

I have to ask myself a question. If a God-fearer saw me today, would that God-fearer rejoice? If not, what needs to change?

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 119 (vss. 65-80).

PODCAST!!!

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

PATHS:
Discuss Today’s Meditation with Your Family

How does Psalm 119:65-80 prompt or improve your trust in God?

Psalm 81: When the Lord is NOT Your Shepherd

Today’s reading is Psalm 81.

God pulls out all the stops in Psalm 81. He reminds Israel of the great blessing He provided when they followed Him in the past. He promises the great blessing He will give them if they keep following Him. He bestows grace, giving them further opportunity to follow Him when they’ve abandoned Him in the past. “If you would but listen to me,” He pleads, not for His benefit, but theirs. But…

“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me” (Psalm 81:11, ESV). Anyone who knows the history of Israel knows they failed to listen and submit again and again and again. They repeatedly turned to other gods. They repeatedly abandoned Yahweh. Psalms 77-80 have a repeated Shepherd/flock/sheep theme. While Shepherd, flock, and sheep are not mentioned directly in this psalm, we get a strong flavor of what happens when the flock refuse to heed the voice of the Shepherd.

So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.

Psalm 81:12 (ESV)

The result of this is understood by all who heard this psalm in Israel. The enemies of vs. 14 subdued and conquered Israel because they followed their own counsels. This happened repeatedly in Judges. It happened with Israel in 2 Kings 17 as they were conquered by Assyria. It happened with Judah in 2 Kings 25 as they were conquered by Babylon. If they would turn and listen, God would deliver again. But Israel continually refused to heed the voice of God.

The point we need to understand. God longs to lead us to life. He pleads with us. He cautions us. He reminds us. He promises us. He instructs us. He warns us. He chases us. He restores us. He warns again. He clearly wants a relationship with us. However, if we refuse to listen, if we push back, if we wander away, eventually He will let us go our own way. For all He does, He won’t force us on His path. Eventually, He will give us up to walk in our own counsels. The problem is our own counsels are awful. They will not provide for us, neither in this life nor in eternity. Our own counsels lead to death and destruction. Our own counsels lead to Hell. If we won’t listen to God, He will let us walk that path. He doesn’t want to, but He will.

Here’s the thing. It will never be easier than today to submit to the Lord as Shepherd. The more we refuse Him, the harder it is to turn back to Him. Don’t delay. Let the Lord shepherd you today. That is the only path to life.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 81.

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 81 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Psalm 66: If I Had Cherished Iniquity in My Heart

Today’s reading is Psalm 66.

The psalmist praises God. His voice is full of the glory of God. He not only praises God to God, He praises God to all who will listen. His action is full of worship. His mouth promised votive offerings. His action follows through. However, the psalmist knows right words and right actions do not suffice. He must also have the right heart.

If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

Psalm 66:18

The heart must align with the mouth. If we confess and apologize for sin with our mouths, go through motions of worship with our bodies, but store up, cherish, regard, and hang on to sin in our hearts, God will ignore our pleas.

This, of course, is the problem we often face. We sin. God allows us to face the consequences of our sins. We beg and plead for Him to deliver us from the consequences of our sins, but hope He will allow us to keep hanging on to our sins. As my friend, Terry Francis, recently told me, “We all want God to deliver us from the consequences of our lives, but few of us want God to deliver us from the lives producing the consequences.”

Let us not only confess our sins with our mouths. Let us not only give up our sins with our bodies. Let us also reject and despise our sins with our hearts. Then, and only then, God will hear our pleas for deliverance.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 66.

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 66 prompt or improve your hope in God?