Psalm 100: Enduring Love and Faithfulness

Today’s reading is Psalm 100.

In Psalm 100:4, our psalmist says in addition to giving thanks and coming into God’s courts with praise, worshipers should “Bless His Name.” Then he writes:

For the LORD is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100:5 (ESV)

Our psalmist is not declaring we must say good things about the theonym YHWH. He is calling to mind what the name of the Lord means. We should bless the Lord’s name as revealed by God Himself in Exodus 34:6-7:

The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation (ESV).

This is our God. This is the foundation of our gladness and joy. This is the key to our thanksgiving and praise. Because this is the kind of God we serve, we bless Him, praise Him, adore Him.

Notice the difference between the psalm and the statement in Exodus. When God declared His name to Moses, He said He kept steadfast love for thousands. If I understand correctly, this statement uses a similar grammar to the statement about visiting iniquity. That is, the word “generations” is supplied in the latter statement. In other words, the Lord’s name provides a contrast. He keeps steadfast love to thousands or to the thousandth generation. He visits iniquity to three or to four or to the third and fourth generation. God says something similar in the 10 Commandments when He says

“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.”

Exodus 20:5-6 (ESV)

God’s point is not about a legacy of blessing or a legacy of punishment. He is not saying if a generation loves Him and obeys Him, He will bring blessing on the next thousand generations. Nor is He saying if a generation rebels, He will visit punishment on three or four generations. Neither is He trying to explain how long a particular generation’s behavior will influence a family line. Just read the flip flop of succeeding generations through the book of Judges to see this. He is saying if succeeding generations love and follow Him, He’ll visit grace, mercy, love, and faithfulness upon them even up to a thousand generations in a row. However, if succeeding generations ignore Him, disobey Him, rebel against Him, He will visit the same punishment on them even up to three or four generations.

But which is it? In Exodus God said He will visit love on a thousand generations. In Psalm 100, He says His love endures forever and will be on all generations. The difference demonstrates the figurative nature of these numbers. In Exodus, God wasn’t saying the one thousand and first generation in a row to love and obey Him would get punishment because He only keeps love and faithfulness for a thousand generations. Likewise, He wasn’t saying the fifth generation in a row to disobey and rebel against Him will receive a blessing. Rather, these comparative numbers are expressing God’s desire. Our God does not want to zap people. He doesn’t wait around in heaven just looking for people to punish. God wants to bless people. He wants to bless a thousand generations in a row. In fact, He wants to bless endless generations in a row. He doesn’t actually want to punish even one generation. He will, but He doesn’t want to.

What a great God we serve. But, what good does it do us, if we refuse to repent so that we might live? God wants to bestow the blessings of His love on us. It doesn’t really matter what our parents did or their parents. He will give us grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love if we will turn to Him. Will you turn to Him? Can we help you? Let us know in the comments section.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 100.

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PATHS:
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Psalm 100: Joy and Gladness

Today’s reading is Psalm 100.

We can make one of two mistakes with our attitude and outlook. Many Christians have mistakenly believed we are only being faithful to the Lord if we are happy and joyful all the time. I’m writing this post in the middle of the week of Vacation Bible School for the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. How many of our “kids” songs can lead us to believe we are called to be happy all the time otherwise we must be plagued with doubts and disobedience? The psalms have a shocking way of disabusing us of this notion. The sorrow, depression, mourning, and lament shared in many psalms frightens many of us with their candor. These ancient saints were not happy all the time. Sometimes it is hard to s-m-i-l-e.

However, the other mistake in attitude and outlook is simply giving in to the sadness, fear, anger, and lament we sometimes face. Life is difficult plenty of times. The devil runs this world. His attacks hurt and cause pain. However, life with God is good. In fact, even in the midst of hardship we can recall the work of God and draw on reserves of joy and gladness.

For instance, when Paul wrote to the saints in Philippi, he was under arrest. He was confined to quarters and under the watchful eye of a Roman guard at all times. Yet, he repeatedly speaks of joy and rejoicing. In that letter, he instructs us to “rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4, ESV). He rejoices though he is held captive. He rejoices though some insincere teachers seek to cause him pain. He rejoices though he may be executed soon. In this situation, he encourages us to rejoice always. Surely, if he can rejoice in his situation, we can rejoice in ours.

As Psalm 100 explains, God has created us. He has given us life. We are His people. We are the sheep of His pasture. Recall the blessings of Psalm 23. God is good. He loves us and is faithful. For all these reasons and more, even in hardship we can call up joy and gladness.

I’m not talking about fake it until you make it (though sometimes we have to). I’m not talking about covering up your true feelings. I’m not talking about avoiding your authentic and true self. I’m talking about learning to count the blessings even in the hard times. I’m talking about learning to take joy in the silver linings and look to the end for God’s people and develop real joy. Certainly, those who mourn are blessed. When we mourn, we can carry that to God. His shoulders are big enough to handle it. But we must also recall that in all things we are saved by Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection. As Romans 8:35-39 explains, even when we are in the middle of tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword, we are more than conquerors in Jesus. Nothing can separate us from His love. Surely, recalling these blessings, we can draw forth reasons to enter God’s courts with joy and gladness.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 100.

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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How does Psalm 100 admonish you?

Psalm 100: Give Thanks

Today’s reading is Psalm 100.

The ancient heading supplied is simple:

A Psalm for Giving Thanks

Smack in the middle of the psalm, we are told, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!” Sure, we all face tough times. Sure, we all have times for lament. The psalms have shown us that again and again. But at the same time, our God has blessed us in overwhelming ways. Even in the tough times, a recounting of our blessings should be able to bring thanksgiving and praise to our lips.

Paul instructs us:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

This is more than an attitude of gratitude. The instruction is to actually give thanks. We’ve discussed this before in the psalms. This is a good time to remind us we aren’t simply to feel grateful. We are to actually give thanks.

May I suggest a thanksgiving habit? Make thanksgiving part of your morning routine. Before you kick off your day, start by thinking of at least 5 things you are thankful for today. You might even write them down. But whether or not you keep a written record of them, make sure you actually, verbally thank God for each of them. Think of material blessings and spiritual blessings. Don’t worry if you have repeats several days in a row. When I do this well and consistently, it helps me because it reminds me God is not actually picking on me. He is blessing me.

And when you give thanks, you may think of this psalm and use it in your thanksgiving. Talk about His creative hand and power. Talk about His blessings. Talk about His shepherding and guidance. Give God thanks.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 100.

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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Psalm 92: Praise

Today’s reading is Psalm 92.

Every so often, we like to remind everyone about our meditation goals with the daily Bible reading we do. We ask you to read one chapter every week (in this year one psalm), but to read it every day of the week. This year we added in the encouragement throughout the five weekdays to meditate on a particular aspect of the reading. This week’s posts will walk through those meditation questions with Psalm 92.

On Mondays, we ask the question, “How does this reading prompt or improve your praise of God?”

Since Psalm 92 is a praise psalm, this is easy. I love the way the psalm starts:

It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High…

“It is good…” Not, “It is a chore.” Not, “It is a homework assignment.” Not, “It is a requirement.” But, “It is good.” This word could also be translated “pleasant,” “desirable,” “enjoyable,” “beautiful,” “pleasing,” and a host of other similar terms.

In vs. 4, the psalmist explains why he finds pleasure in praising and thanking God: the works of the Lord have made him glad. And why wouldn’t they? For the ancient Israelite, the works of the Lord included things like the deliverance from Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, the defeat of enemies, the provision of the Land. But how much more is this true for us as Christians. The work of the Lord includes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Is there anything better than that?

Think on that and be glad. Give thanks to God and praise Him for that because it is good, pleasant, desirable, enjoyable, beautiful, and pleasing.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 92.

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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How does Psalm 92 prompt or improve your praise of God?

Psalm 79: Groans, Taunts, Praises

Today’s reading is Psalm 79.

The final verses of Psalm 79 provide a picture of three contrasting forms of speech.

In Psalm 79:11, “Let the groans of the prisoners come before you” (ESV). The psalmist calls to mind Exodus 2:24; 6:5. Though the words are different, the picture is the same. God’s people are captive and finally groaning in their captivity. As their groans in Egyptian bondage came up to God and brought to mind His covenant with them, the psalmist asks God to hear their groans in Babylonian captivity.

In Psalm 79:12, “Return sevenfold into the lap of our neighbors the taunts with which they have taunted you, O Lord!” (ESV). Back in vs. 4, the psalmist had said Israel had become the taunt of their neighbors. However, when the nations taunted God’s people, they actually taunted God. Before we get too bent out of shape about what seems like a sevenfold revenge instead of a commensurate return, see in Leviticus 26:18, 21, 24, 28, this concept of a sevenfold punishment for sin was what God had promised Israel. The use of “seven” here is not literally asking God to make the punishment seven times worse than the sin deserves. Rather, both here and in Leviticus the number figuratively represents fullness and completeness (as in seven days making a full or complete week). The request means to give the “full measure” or the “complete measure” of judgment and punishment their sins and taunts deserve.

In Psalm 79:13, “But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise” (ESV). The psalmist brings up the sheep/shepherd theme we’ve seen in the previous two psalms (Psalm 77:20; 78:52-53, 70-72). But weren’t these the same people groaning two verses earlier. Yes, of course. However, in this verse, the reference to the sheep of your pasture calls to mind Psalm 23 and the references in the previous psalms of God’s deliverance by leading His sheep like a flock. When God leads Israel like a flock out of captivity, Israel will praise and give thanks. Just as they had praised God from generation to generation for the deliverance from Egypt, when He delivers them from Babylon, they will have new reasons to praise God.

Of course, we know something. God’s people didn’t live up to this final commitment. This actually teaches us something about the psalm. What seems like prediction is actually a teaching tool. This last verse isn’t prophesying Israel will always praise and thank God properly. Rather, it is attempting to motivate Israel to praise and thank God properly. We too should learn from this final verse. We were imprisoned. Our enemy taunted us. But we have been delivered. No matter what else we endure, let us always praise and thank God as the sheep of His pasture.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 79.

PODCAST!!!

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PATHS:
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Psalm 75: Praise and Thanksgiving

Today’s reading is Psalm 75.

Most of this psalm presents God speaking. As we’ve said earlier, this psalm presents not a prayer to God, but a response from God. However, at a couple of key points the psalmist’s voice breaks through.

We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
They* recount your wondrous deeds.

Psalm 75:1 (ESV)

But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

Psalm 75:9 (ESV)

Praise and thanksgiving. Of course, God’s response would produce praise and thanksgiving. He says He’s going to defeat the enemies and uplift the righteous. However, note this psalm is simply a declaration of what God plans to do at some right time He has set. In the psalm’s presentation, He hasn’t done these things yet. But the psalmist praises God and thanks Him while waiting for God to do what He promises.

It’s also interesting to note the variety of praise. It starts with “we” give thanks. It moves to “they” give thanks, likely meaning something akin to “the people” give thanks. And just before the psalm ends, the writer of the psalm speaks with “I will sing praises.” “We,” “They,” and “I;” all praise and give thanks because God is the righteous judge.

I know we await the final judgment. We await the time when God will divvy up the sheep and the goats. We await the time when God will bring judgment on those who have mistreated, abused, and persecuted us. We await the time when God will bring us into our eternal home with forever pleasures and everlasting joys at His right hand. The tempter is trying to distract us from that. He tries to convince us it will never happen.

However, like these psalmists, let us recognize God’s response to us. Let us recognize His promises. Let us recognize He will judge and deliver at the appropriate time. While we wait for Him to actually do those things, let us continue to offer praise and thanksgiving to our marvelous God who has heard our prayers and has responded.

Praise the Lord!

*In the verse itself in the ESV, the text says “We recount.” However, the ESV translators provide a footnote that the actual Hebrew verb is in the third person plural form. Therefore, it should read “They recount.” Other translations render it this way.

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:
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How does Psalm 75 prompt or improve your hope in God?

Psalm 75: God Responds

Today’s reading is Psalm 75.

The shocks simply keep coming for me. As I shared last week, I’m completely stunned by the prayer of Psalm 74. I simply don’t understand how a worship leader in Israel could be so obtuse and ignorant of God’s prophetic warnings and declarations about the Babylonian captivity. That being said, I was completely comforted by God accepting that prayer. However, notice what happens this week.

As we’ve learned, while each psalm is its own literary unit, we can often see how the psalms link together to tell a story or provide some overarching line of thinking. We see that this week. If Psalm 74 is a prayer, Psalm 75 is God’s response.

Frankly, I think the psalmist of Psalm 74 ought to get a response something like the one Joshua received in Joshua 7:10ff. “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they transgressed my covenant that I commanded them…” Instead, God responds to the questions about “How long?” by saying, “At the appointed time.” That is, “at the appropriate time.” He responds to the request to defeat the enemies with, “All the horns of the wicked I will cut off.” He responds to the requests to deliver the poor and needy with, “but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.”

WOW!

What comforts me the most is recognizing the difference between the prayer of Psalm 74 while being written as a prayer and how it is presented in the psalter. When the son of Asaph prayed and wrote Psalm 74, it was prayed as its own prayer. There is no indication God gave an audible answer or immediate response. Otherwise, we’d expect it to be included in Psalm 74 as happened, for example, in Psalm 12. However, God did have a response. We’re reading it this week.

When I pray, when you pray, God does not respond audibly. However, don’t doubt God responds. Don’t doubt God responds in the right way. Don’t doubt God responds in the best way.

Praise the Lord!

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 75.

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:
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How does Psalm 75 prompt or improve your praise of God?

Psalm 66: Shout for Joy

Today’s reading is Psalm 66.

This week’s psalm begins where last week’s ended.

“…they shout and sing together for joy.”

Psalm 65:13

“Shout for joy to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name…”

Psalm 66:1

Shout and sing. Sing and shout.

We’ve hit a string of highly needed praise psalms. While it is true we could use a few more lament songs in our modern hymn books, going through one after the other in the ancient Psalms starts to be a bit of a downer. We may begin to think following God is all drudgery, suffering, hardship.

Not true!

We serve an awesome God who does awesome things. He creates. He delivers. He conquers enemies. He provides for His people. He gives peace and joy. He provides food and water. He brings the spring showers. He causes the sunshine. He listen to prayers. He grants blessing.

Yes, we need those lament psalms to help us hang on through the lamentable times. But let us never get so bogged down in the laments we forget we serve an amazing God who takes great care of us.

Praise the Lord!

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:
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How does Psalm 66 prompt or improve your praise to God?

Psalm 65: The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music

Today’s reading is Psalm 65.

Long before Maria pranced about the hills of Austria belting out the description of natural music around her, David listened among the hills of Israel and heard the music.

He hears the river God filled with water bubbling and babbling and the pitter patter of rain falling in the valleys. He listens to the grain rustling in the breeze and the flocks bleating in the fields. He hears them shouting and singing together for joy. No doubt, this encourages him to be full of music. No doubt he longs to sing every song he hears.

I hope David’s imagery does the same for us whether we witness it ourselves or only envision it because of his word pictures. What a beautiful picture of God’s great provision. What a beautiful picture of God’s creative power.

I also hope David’s creative and imaginative approach to praising God in this psalm impresses us. More than that, I hope it inspires us to try ourselves to branch out of simple declarations of thanks and praise to look around us and bring the songs of the worlds praise into our own. What do you witness around you declaring the power and work of God? How can you bring it into your prayer and praise?

What a great psalm to read again and again in the week we Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Let this psalm fill our hearts with music, singing, praise, and creative thanksgiving this week.

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:
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How does Psalm 65 prompt or improve praise for you?

Psalm 57: As in Heaven, so Also on Earth

Today’s reading is Psalm 57.

David’s repeated refrain prompts awe in our hearts. “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth.” As if saying this once doesn’t satisfy his drive to praise, he says it twice. Why not? God’s “steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.” God’s love and faithfulness, initially part of Yahweh’s self-description to Moses in Exodus 34:6-7, fill the heavens. Surely, we should exalt God above the heavens. Surely, His glory should fill the entire earth.

Under the New Covenant, Jesus teaches us to pray. Catch the similarity between His prayer and David’s praise. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10, ESV). Do you see the resemblance? Literally, this prayer claims God’s name must be hallowed (sanctified, glorified), His kingdom must come, His will must be done. But where? As in heaven, so also on earth. As His name is hallowed, His kingdom fills, and His will is done in heaven, so also these must be on earth. David’s praise makes the same claim. God’s glory fills the heavens, it must also fill the earth.

That happens as we magnify God. As we praise God before the peoples and the nations, we invite them to glorify God as well. As they see God’s good work in our lives and through us, they long to participate in that work. They surrender to God. God works in their lives and through them, prompting them to glorify God. Others see and long to participate in relationship with God. His glory spreads throughout the earth from one person to the next, from one generation to the next.

God’s glory does fill the heavens. May we pray, praise, and practice God’s glory so it will also fill the earth.

Tomorrow’s reading is Psalm 57.

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:
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How does Psalm 57 increase your trust in God?