Our Reading: Psalm 133 & John 17:20-23

I imagine David had witnessed the nation of Israel rocked to the core by disharmony and times of conflict and unrest. He had even been the one hunted by the King who wanted to see his very life and those who followed him destroyed. But, David also knew the blessing of seeing God bring about restoration of harmony and unity. He knew that unity was, indeed, something to be cherished. 

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” (v1)

In this Psalm, he compared unity to the precious oil that would flow down from the priest’s Aaron’s beard and to the dew that nourished and refreshed the mountains of Zion.  God encourages His people to also cherish and revere unity and to strive to live in one accord. 

His Word teaches us and encourages us to live in unity. Where unity is valued and put into practice, there God will be present, and His Spirit will be able to work to indwell the hearts and minds of His people. 

“Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭11‬ ‭

We are encouraged to look past our differences and realize that Christ bonds us as one, and we are united as His offspring. We become part of God’s family and that includes being granted the same promises of inheritance as the nation Israel.

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.” Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭27‬-‭29‬ ‭

He gives us clear instruction regarding how to have peace and harmony in dealing with each other. 

“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭15‬ ‭

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭16‬ ‭

God wants to bless us  and He calls for us to be a blessing to others through unity of mind and the extended love of Christ.

“Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭

Unity is indeed a rare virtue and cherished blessing that is dear to God’s heart. We must learn to value it as God does for unity is the key to experiencing His peace and blessings as we interact daily with our beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.

“O for more of this rare virtue! Not the love which comes and goes, but that which dwells; not that spirit which separates and secludes, but that which dwells together; not that mind which is all for debate and difference, but that which dwells together in unity.” (Spurgeon)

Reflection:

1. Think about your own household, your workplace, your church etc. Does unity or disharmony characterize these environments and the relationships of those who interact there?
2. What is your tendency in reaction to conflicts? Do you sow seeds of harmony or disharmony? 
3. How precious is unity to you? Do you seek it as a blessing from God?

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for the blessing of unity and we ask for this blessing to be found in our homes, our churches, our places of work and leisure. Teach us to be the peacemakers who sow love and harmony as we strive to represent the love of Christ to one another. Help us to value unity as You value unity.

Our Reading: Psalm 108  & Matthew 26:24-25

Today we do not fear a literal army invading our homes or communities as they did in the days of the Bible. But, we do have enemies and those who rise up against us. We have people in our lives who may lie about us, slander our reputations, do destructive things or just treat us unfairly. In those times and when dealing with difficult people and unjust situations, we have choices. 

Choice 1:Take Matters Into Our Own Hands. 

We can muster our own defenses. Perhaps that takes the form of confrontation or striking back in some way against that person’s behaviors to vindicate ourselves and / or our reputations. But, when we act out of our own flesh and hurtful pride, we likely march into battle with only our own limited resources and knowledge. If our agenda is self driven and we do not consult God, then we go into battle without His blessing or resources. I don’t think I won’t to be in this situation:

“Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies.”

‭‭Psalm‬ ‭108‬:‭11‬ ‭

Choice 2: Consult God and give Him command of the situation.

 Stand down and wait for His marching orders. This means you may have to keep your mouth shut and endure the circumstances quietly and patiently while you wait for God to take action. He may involve you to take action or He may need you to just stay the coarse and trust His plans and purposes. While we wait, we should ask for His help for only He knows what is the best course of action. If an enemy needs to be defeated or put in check, God knows exactly how and when to do battle.

“Oh grant us help against the foe, for vain is the salvation of man! With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.”  ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭108‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭

What does valiantly mean: 

According to Vocabulary.com: “To be valiant is to have courage and to persevere, especially in difficult circumstances. Therefore, to act valiantly is to show courage and perseverance. A basketball player with a sore ankle who helps win the game has played valiantly. A war hero served his country valiantly. Martin Luther King worked for civil rights valiantly. This word has to do with strength of character and fortitude. Acting valiantly is difficult, which is why others admire it.”

A good attitude and perspective to have in difficult circumstances is to choose to act valiantly. Notice in this Psalm, that it gives us the key to accomplishing this: “With God”! I must admit that when dealing with difficult situations, I would prefer a quick and easy solution and preferably one that makes me feel better immediately. With every challenge in life is the opportunity to make the choice to act valiantly and let God be in charge of the battle. 

“fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭41‬:‭10‬ ‭

Reflection:

1. What is your tendency in response to difficult situations and those who rise up against you? Do you choose option 1 or 2?
2. Do you desire to act valiantly? If so, can you stand down and wait for God’s instructions and trust the outcomes to Him?

Prayer: Father, may we learn to be reliant on You instead of ourselves. May we have the strength to act valiantly and realize that we need to wait for You to give us our marching orders. May we be content to do nothing and endure if that is what You ask of us, trusting the outcomes to You. May we choose to march forward into battle only with You leading the way. We thank You for promising to never abandon us or leave us alone. 

Our Reading: Psalm 98 & Psalm 52:10

I was at a Christian concert recently with my youngest daughter and I had an amazing time worshiping God collectively. The coliseum can hold 22,000 and it was pretty full. As I looked around at the thousands of people united in their joy and expression of faith through music I thought that this is just an inkling of what heaven will be like. It truly gave me goosebumps.

God designed us to connect with music and be able to enjoy it. He also designed music to be a form of connection and worship to glorify Him. You can find at least 185 songs in the Bible and 80% of these come from the book of Psalms which we are currently studying. 

The use of song in the Bible covers a multitude of events to include songs of sorrow, funeral dirges, and tales of battle and tragic events. But, in this Psalm, the Psalmist encourages us to focus on the positive and from that focus, can come hopeful songs of joy that glorify God and look forward to a brighter, wondrous future.

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things! His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.” Psalm‬ ‭98‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭

Has the Lord done marvelous things for you? Has He provided salvation for you? Then, you too have reason for joy and to join in songs of worship to celebrate all that God has promised you from His outpouring of love.

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody! With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!” Psalm‬ ‭98‬:‭4‬-‭6‬

But what if your circumstances aren’t joyful? I think music and focus on praise can help to lift our countenance. Perhaps that is why Paul and Silas were singing while fastened in chains within the prison. 

“We may sing beforehand, even in our winter storm, in the expectation of a summer sun at the turn of the year; no created powers can mar our Lord Jesus’ music, nor spill our song of joy. Let us then be glad and rejoice in the salvation of our Lord; for faith had never yet cause to have wet cheeks, and hanging-down brows, or to droop or die.” Samuel Rutherford

Current circumstances are just that…current. Eternal circumstances are what we can look forward to. Hope gives us cause to sing a new song. All the Earth awaits the joy of His coming when He shall take all sorrow and corruption away. 

“Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it! Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.”  Psalm‬ ‭98‬:‭7‬-‭9‬ ‭

Prayer: Father, we thank you for the gift of music. We also thank you for all of the joyous reasons You have provided for us to lift our voices in praise. May You lift our countenance and fill our hearts to bursting with a new song that glorifies You!