I have loved so much this week of study, because each psalm that has been posted has reminded us of the importance of praise and worship due to our God!

You probably have a favorite one like I do, because it has accompanied you through very special seasons of your life. And today’s psalm is not an exception.

These are some of the titles for psalm 104 on different Bible versions:

Just by reading these titles we get a glimpse of what David expressed in this Psalm.

Here is an introduction to this psalm by C. H. Spurgeon.

“The Psalm gives an interpretation to the many voices of nature, and sings sweetly both of creation and providence. The poem contains a complete cosmos: sea and land, cloud and sunlight, plant and animal, light and darkness, life and death, are all proved to be expressive of the presence of the Lord.”

By reading the first verses, David invites us to praise our God and recognize some of His attributes:

As we approach Him in worship and praise we must acknowledge like David, that our God is great, and that He is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all!

“⁵ This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].” (1 John 1:5)

Our Lord Jesus, the Son whom He recognized as His beloved (Luke 5:22), is the Light of the world:

“¹² Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “^[a]I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8.12)

In this dark world filled with so many hardships, sin and heresy, only through the Light of Jesus in us can we recognize what David expressed in this psalm that our God :

If our hearts are gloomy (“darkened”) by the troubles and business of this world, we won’t be able to deeply appreciate and express our gratitude and praise for His daily blessings, not to mention the magnificence of His creation!

David was not was not exempt from these situations, but I am sure that he wrote this psalm while he was in His quiet time with the Lord. In a time of reflective contemplation of God’s awesome creation!

We can divide this psalm as follows:

-The creation of heavens and earth, and all the creatures (104:1-9).

⁵ He established the earth on its foundations, So that it will not be moved forever and ever.

-The preservation of nature by God and how it displays its gratitude to Him! (104:10-18).

“He causes grass to grow for the cattle, And all that the earth produces for cultivation by man, So that he may bring food from the earth—¹⁵ And wine which makes the heart of man glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And bread  to sustain and strengthen man’s heart.” (104:14-15)

- Sun and Moon also created for a purpose. (104:19-23).

¹⁹ He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the [exact] place of its setting.

-The Sea and Its Inhabitants (104:24-26).

- God’s  Care for all His Creation. (104:27-30).

-Benediction to our God (104:31-35).

Let me ask you:

Do you take “the time to stop and smell the roses”?, that is:

Do you take the time to meditate and contemplate our Lord’s creation in awe and praise? What is it that is or can be distracting you from this?

Let us pray:

Heavenly Father, we humbly come to you recognizing there are times when we don’t take the time to thank you and praise you for all you have blessed us with on a daily basis, and I ask you to forgive us for taking so many of these blessings by granted! May I be able to be attentive and to perceive Your loving Hand in all that surrounds me at the present time and in every moment of my life! We join David in the following Benediction: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; May the Lord rejoice and be glad in His works— ³² He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke. ³³ I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. ³⁴ May my meditation be sweet and pleasing to Him; As for me, I will rejoice and be glad in the Lord. ³⁵ Let sinners be consumed from the earth, And let the wicked be no more. Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)” (100:31-35)

Mari

Long ago when I first began studying the Psalms I learned that Jesus said in these we would find prophetic words written about Him (Messianic Psalms):

“Then He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you, everything which has been written about Me in the ^[a]Law of Moses and the [writings of the] Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” (Luke 24:44 AMP)

 

Some of the Messianic  Psalms are: Psalm 2, 8, 16, 22, 40, 41, 45, 68, 69, 102, 110, & 118.

Psalm 69 is also called an imprecatory Psalm because it speaks of suffering, a cry for justice and judgment. 

In today’s reading we find David, crying out to God for help because his enemies caused great oppression over him. In the first three verses David expressed how the “waters had come up to his neck and how he had sunk into deep mire” (69:1-3)

As we take these overwhelming feelings back to our Lord’s suffering, He was: “sinking down into the deep mire of humanity’s sin and guilt, coming truly to the deep waters, where the floods overflow. No wonder it was said of Jesus before He went to the cross, He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed (Matthew 26:37 ).”  (M. Henry)

David´s enemies hated David without cause and we can see that our Lord Jesus was hated without a cause as well!

^“Those who hate me without cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would destroy me are powerful, being my enemies wrongfully;  (69:4a)

This prophecy was fulfilled in John 15:23-25.

It was foretold of how Jesus would cleanse the temple and how He would suffer from mockery and insults, in verse 69:9

“For zeal for Your house has consumed me, And the [mocking] insults of those who insult You have fallen on me.”

This prophecy was fulfilled in John 2:13-17 and in:

 Romans 15:3: “ For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written [in Scripture], “The reproaches of those who reproached You (the Father) fell on Me (the Son)”

In Psalm 69:21 we read: “They (self-righteous hypocrites) also gave me gall [poisonous and bitter] for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.”

 

This prophecy was fulfilled in Matthew 27:34 and in:

John 19:28-30: ^“ After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said in fulfillment of the Scripture, “I am thirsty.” ²⁹ A jar full of ^[a]sour wine was placed there; so they put a sponge soaked in the sour wine on [a branch of] hyssop and held it to His mouth. ³⁰ When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and [voluntarily] ^[b]gave up His spirit.”

 

In Psalm 69: 22-29 it was foretold what had to happen to our Lord’s enemies: the unbelieving Jews who not only rejected Him but wanted His destruction!

 “May their table [with all its abundance and luxury] become a snare [to them]; And when they are in peace [secure at their sacrificial feasts], may it become a trap. ²³ May their eyes be dimmed so that they cannot see, And make their loins shake continually [in terror and weakness].” (69:22-23, 25)

These prophecies were fulfilled in Acts 1:15-20 and in Romans 11:5-10.

“The rejection of the Jews for rejecting Christ, as it was a signal instance of God's justice and an earnest of the vengeance which God will at last take on all that are obstinate in their infidelity” (M. Henry)

Finally, when David realized that although he was sorrowful and in pain, the unfailing love of God whom he trusted wholeheartedly, would deliver him and set him securely on high. (69:29) Then David would praise and magnify Him throughout the land! (69:30-36)

“When his sorrows are over, and He enters into the joy that was set before him, when He is heard and discharged from his imprisonment in the grave, the humble shall look upon it and be glad, and those that seek God through Christ shall live and be comforted, concluding that, if they suffer with him, they shall also reign with him.” (M Henry)  Halleluiah!!

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, there are no words to express our gratitude for the Saving Grace you lavished over us, through the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Thank you for scriptures which show us how Faithful and True You are and have been throughout the ages! Thank you that we can rest in these truths and may we boldly declare, that You are the Alpha and the Omega, and our future in eternity is secure in You, when we in faith surrender our lives to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Amen!

Blessings,

Mary

In the first two verses of this Psalm David directs the attention to God’s glory and strength, and he calls the mighty ones of the earth to recognize that the LORD has a glory and strength that far exceeds their own.

He calls each one of us to humbly worship Him, recognizing He is Worthy, for only He is Holy!

In the following verses David describes how the voice of the Lord sounds:

^“The voice of the Lord echoes above the sea. The God of glory thunders. The Lord thunders over the mighty sea. (v.3)

He also describes it as (verses 4-9):

- Powerful and mighty.

- Full of majesty.

 “The thunder is not only poetically but instructively called ‘the voice of God,’ since it peals from on high; it surpasses all other sounds, it inspires awe, it is entirely independent of man, and has been used on some occasions as the grand accompaniment of God’s speech to Adam’s sons.” (Spurgeon)

I remember as a child how I joined the children from our street and we would play under the rain. But it was really scary to see a lightning followed by the sound of thunder! That would make us run back home!

This reminds me how God’s people in Exodus 20:18-19, reacted to this sound: “Now all the people witnessed the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the smoking mountain; and as they looked, the people were afraid, and they trembled [and moved backward] and stood at a [safe] distance. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, “You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us or we will die.” (AMP)

In contrast with Moses, these people were not only afraid of the smoke and thunders, but feared the sound of God’s voice! They had gone out from Egypt where they once had compromised with the immovable gods and idols of that place. Now they were under the care and guidance of a LIVING GOD! A God who could see the intentions and condition of their hearts!

This same happened to Adam and Eve back in Genesis 3:8-10

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” ¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” (NIV)

Imagine: Adam and Eve were both so accustomed to God’s voice before they sinned against Him! O how sweet conversations Adam and Eve both had with God. But once they disobeyed and sinned against Him, they feared His voice which God’s was convicting to their hearts!

 Now David was a man after God’s own heart and by faith he had the conviction that his God was a living God, so he was able to hear His voice, as he expressed it in Psalm 18:46 “The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!  May the God of my salvation be exalted!

Even Job had this same revelation: “ I know that my redeemer^[a] lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. (Job 19:25)

And we who have received Jesus as our Lord and Savior have received this same blessing and privilege! We can now live in fellowship with our Living God, and be able to speak to Him through prayer and worship and have the certainty that He listens and answers!

Finally, David recognizes that our Lord and King  is also our caring Shepherd:

^“The Lord sat as King at the flood; Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.
¹¹ The Lord will give [unyielding and impenetrable] strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. (29:10-11)

Yes, in our afflictions we can call on Jesus, that same Jesus that calmed the sea for his disciples (Matthew 8:23–27) will do the same for us, and right after the storm He will give us His peace! Isn’t He Amazing?

-“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27 (NLT)

-“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…My sheep hear my voice…” (John 10:14, 27)

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father: I want to thank you for loving us and revealing yourself to us, not only through your wonderful creation, but through the Saving Sacrifice of Jesus! May our hearts be always seeking you through prayer and worship.  May our ears be always attentive to the sound of Your voice. Please deliver us from walking astray! We always want to be able to hear Your voice and follow You!  And when storms and afflictions may come, let us remember in faith that You give us the strength to stand firm, and will grant us your peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7), because “nothing…will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39). Amen

Blessings,

Mari

Easter is such a special occasion for us Christians to celebrate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and it is also a time when so many people (non-believers) around the world are eager to know more about Him.

This is a special time for us- who like them, “were dead in our trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1, Colossians 2:13)-, and should continue to pray for our “loved ones” who are in the same condition we were. This special celebration is also a reminder for those who for any reason went astray:  that He gave His life for them in remission for their sins.

So I challenge you this Easter, to pray earnestly for your loved ones, just as Paul did for his beloved ones, that they would experience “godly sorrow”:

“For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

Here Paul states the difference between sorrow and repentance.  They are not the same!  Someone can be sorry for their sin without truly repenting from it.  Sorrow describes a feeling, but repentance describes a transformation in both the mind and in the life of a person. (Romans 12:1-2)

* "Godly sorrow produces repentance unto salvation: Does this mean we are saved by our repentance? Not exactly! Repentance "is not the ground of our salvation; but it is a part of it and necessary condition of it.  Those who repent are saved; the impenitent perish.  Repentance is therefore unto salvation." (Hodge)

* "Repentance must never be thought of as something we must do before we can come back to God. Repentance describes what coming to God is.  You can't turn towards God without turning from the things He is against. "People seem to jump into faith very quickly nowadays.  I do not disapprove of that happy leap; but still, I hope my old friend repentance is not dead.  I am desperately in love with repentance; it seems to be the twin-sister to faith." (Spurgeon)

Since godly sorrow does such a great work, it is not to be regretted.  It doesn't feel good, but it does a good work, leading to Salvation.  The sorrow of the world is different, because it produces death.

 "In repentance there is a bitter sweetness, or a sweet bitterness - which shall I call it? - of which, the more you have, the better it is for you.  I can truly say that I hardly know a diviner joy than to lay my head in my Heavenly Father's bosom and to say, 'Father, I have sinned, but thou hast forgiven me; and, oh, I do love thee!'" (Spurgeon)

Let’s not lose hope and continue praying for the amazing work of His Holy Spirit through godly sorrow. This feeling will not be welcomed, because it can be very painful for our loved ones, but to us also! But we know that it is all for His Loving Purpose. Their Salvation!!

Blessings,

Mari

Proverbs 15:8-9: “The sacrifice of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, But the prayer of the upright is His delight! ⁹ The way [of life] of the wicked is hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, But He loves one who pursues righteousness [personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character].”

By carefully reading these verses we can realize that the prayer of a child of God is an offering that pleases Him. He delights and loves one who fears Him and wants to live in His ways. We are so privileged to have God’s word and be able to pray His word back to Him! Imagine, what would be of our prayer life without the Psalms?

David was a man that had a passion for God. He continually prayed to God, and offered his heart with praise and worship through his Psalms. He was not a perfect man, but was one who prayed from his heart, to the heart God!

 “His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man; but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” (Psalm 147:10-11)

In God he found his delight, and he also knew God was pleased by this!

When David failed and sinned against God, he also knew he was falling in the path of the wicked and realized he had deeply displeased his Lord:

“My [only] sacrifice [acceptable] to God is a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart [broken with sorrow for sin, thoroughly penitent], such, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17 AMP

In our prayer time with the Lord we must come to Him with a humble and repentant heart, because we fail so many times in our day to day! As Paul wrote in Romans 12:1

“ ^[a]Therefore I urge you, ^[b]brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship.” 

He also knew how to pray from his heart to the heart of God, dedicating his whole being to Him!

If we continue reading Proverbs 15, we fill find how the writer continues to highlight the importance of the prayers of God’s children:

^26 “The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight.

 ²⁹ The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous. (15:26, 29  Emphasis mine)

When we come –pray- to our Heavenly Father in total surrender we find the hope, the strength and the purpose of our lives, even in the midst of trial and difficulties:

Yes, let us rejoice in Him for He listens, cares, and delights in us as we seek Him in prayer!!

Next time you come to “your secret place” remember that the prayer from your heart to His heart is a pleasing sacrifice to Him. He is Worthy!!

Mari

(Genesis 16:10-12, 21:9-21)

Father:

I humbly come before you, once again in my affliction. I know I can trust You and You are my only hope! I can remember how you rescued me in the past when I ran away from Sarai and Your angel found me by a well of water in the desert on the way to Shur, and You not only bent down and looked at my distress, but You blessed me and the child in my womb and all my generations, through the words of Your angel! (Genesis 16: 10-12). Since then deep in my heart I recognized you as: El Roi (the Living One who sees me”). (Gen.16:14), because you knew and saw my affliction, and in your mercy you blessed me!

Now again that I have been sent away from my home, and I come before you asking You to look at my heart, which is suffering for the life of my son and mine too: “Hear, O Lord, and answer me. For I am suffering and in need. ² Keep my life, for I am faithful to You. You are my God. Save Your servant who trusts in You. ³ Show me loving-kindness, O Lord. For I cry to You all day long. ⁴ Bring joy to Your servant. For I lift up my soul to You, O Lord. ⁵ For You are good and ready to forgive, O Lord. You are rich in loving-kindness to all who call to You. ⁶ Hear my prayer, O Lord. Listen to my cry for help. ⁷ I will call to You in the day of my trouble. For You will answer me…¹³ For Your loving-kindness toward me is great. And You have saved my soul from the bottom of the grave.”

¹⁵ But You, O Lord, are a God full of love and pity. You are slow to anger and rich in loving-kindness and truth. ¹⁶ Turn to me, and show me loving-kindness. Give Your strength to Your servant. And save the son of your woman servant. ¹⁷ Give me something special to see of Your favor.” (Psalms 86:1-7, 13, 15 NLV).

Thank you Father for you did not delay to answer my prayers! As You heard my boy crying You called to me from heaven to comfort me and You opened my eyes to see a well of water for us to drink! And again in your loving-kindness you reminded me of Your promise of making a great nation from my child´s descendants! (Gen. 21:12-21)

I will continue to proclaim that You: “O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies! Where is there anyone as mighty as you, O Lord? You are entirely faithful.” (Psalm 89:8 NLT) Amen !!

Here at WiTW we meet for prayer every Friday and we would love for you to join us. We meet at 9:00 am EST. It is a time of prayer and fellowship.

Blessings,

Mari Sandoval