Scripture for today: Psalm 147 & Isaiah 40:25-29

We did it, Girls!  We've read and studied every psalm, or will have on Friday! Have we become women after God's own heart? I believe so! I know my faith has grown tremendously through this study; far more than in any other study we've done over the past ten years! And how fitting to end our study focused on praising our amazing Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Before we begin, let me ask you, how easy do praises roll off your lips? 

Psalm 147 begins, "Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!" (147:1)

I thought the choice of words the psalmist uses to encourage us was interesting - "pleasant and fitting to praise Him." for not everything that is fitting is pleasant. 

Forgiving an offender is fitting, but may not always be pleasant, particularly if the offense is often repeated, or the offender isn't sorry. Giving and receiving discipline is fitting, but it may not be pleasant at the moment (Hebrews 12:11).

BUT Psalm 147 tells us that praise is both pleasant, fitting and good! “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!”

So, I've decided to go on a quest today to discover why! 

There are many good things to do in life, but praising God is man’s highest good. There is nothing more rewarding, more beautiful, and more beneficial than to praise the Lord of the universe and to appreciate His works.

Praise Invites the Presence of God

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. (Psalm 22:3 KJV emphasis mine)

".. —indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

“For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,”

that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God. " (1 Chronicles 5:13-14)

Praise Guarantees Victory

2 Chronicles 20:15-20 tells a story of King Jehoshaphat and his army, "rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”

Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated..."

Praise Delivers Us From Our Enemies 

I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18:3)

Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
    to silence the foe and the avenger. (Psalm 8:2)

Praise Drives Out Depression 

  and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor. (Isaiah 61:3)

Praise Satisfies our Souls

O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. (Psalm 63:1-5)

Praise Brings Joy!

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. (Psalm 100:4)

 Scripture for Today: Psalm 142 & Prov 27:5-6 and John 17:17-19 again

How do you pray when you're in trouble; when trapped and feel there is no way out and no one who will support you?

 David was trapped in a cave; hiding from King Saul, who sought his life. His life was being threatened and he didn't know who he could trust, for men had betrayed him to Saul in the past. So, David turns to the only One he knew for certain would not abandon him. 

  Can you feel his anguish and total dependence upon the Lord? It seems he has looked around him for help but there was none. He has longed for someone to care but he is all alone. So, he turns to God and finds help in his time of need and comfort from the God of all comforts. He is not alone! God is with him.

But it was David's last words that grabbed my attention today. 

So often, 

• When someone is grieving the loss of a loved one, after a few days and everyone else has gone back to their lives, they feel lost and alone. 
• When one is diagnosed with a terrible disease, they are flooded with well wishers but after a few days they are left alone to face the reality of it all.
• When we keep trying to gain the victory over an addiction or habit, but fail, and those close to us may be tempted to give up on us.

We may be facing some great temptation in our life that has us so discouraged. We may feel we have lost the battle and are overwhelmed because once again we have given in to that which we know to be wrong. How do we tend to deal with life when we are all alone and there seems to be no help?

If I could speak to the lonely heart that is ready to give up and in; the heart who feels it will never end, I believe I'd say: 

Just like David, we need to turn to God. 

You may have heard the saying that no matter how far you are away from God, we only have to turn around.  He is always right there! He is our Creator and Friend. He knows exactly what is needed if we will only give it all to Him! And rest in His abilities. 

We can go boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in our time of need. Isn't that amazing? God's grace does not depend on you! 

 And, if you lack wisdom, James tells us, "you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6)

His grace is always sufficient for every need. 

AND then we can use our victory in Jesus to share His grace and help others in need.

Let's pray:

O Father, I thank you for your wonderful love, your matchless grace and your infinite mercy toward me. Thank You for always being here with me to help in my time of need. Thank You for helping me through so many things in my life already and for giving me comfort when I have been distressed, health when I have been sick, material things when I was without and love and companionship when I felt all alone. Help me use all I have and am to help others. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

 Today’s Scripture: Psalm 137 & John 1:14

The psalmist wrote this psalm while exiled in Babylonia, which is southern Iraq today. During this time in history it was a common practice for a nation that had been defeated by their enemies to be taken into captivity and relocated to another nation. The reason was to encourage the captives to intermarry and thus lose their native national pride and identity.

They marched off to a place they did not want to go; leaving behind most of their possession and their family members that were either too weak or too old to make the trip, And while they walked into this new land, they were being told to sing, play their harps and sound joyful. They were to act like they were happy about this new home. Imagine that!

There are several observations I made that we can take to heart in this psalm.

1.) God is a just and righteous God.

The people knew God had proclaimed since the time of Moses that if H``is people abandoned Him, He would drive them out of the land. Judah’s fate was sealed when one of her kings filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, including that of his own sons, whom he burned as a sacrifice to the god Molech (2 Kings 24:3-4; 2 Chronicles 33:6). We can't sin against God and expect Him to simply overlook our sin and allow us to go unpunished. 

2.) Oftentimes the innocent must endure the same consequences as the guilty.

I'm certain not all of Judah was guilty of these sinful acts, but all suffered the same fate. While we may be forced to allow many sinful practices to go on in our land, we do not have to condone them or support them. We can put our trust in God and trust - He is in control.

3.)The Psalmist put his trust in God. 

I love that no matter where he was, he would continue to trust God and let God live in him. We all live in a wicked world with all kinds of difficulties but God is still with us to help us remain faithful to him. 

4.) It is perfectly okay to take our thoughts/ feelings to Jesus when going through difficult times.

Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction, happy is the one who repays you according to what you have done to us. Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks. (137: 8-9)

WHOA! That seems a bit harsh, until you realize Psalm 137:8-9 does not ask God for Babylon’s doom, but rather assumes it. Why? Because the true prophets said Babylon would exile the Jews for 70 years, after which God would send the Persians (Medes) against Babylon and the Jews would return home. The prophet Isaiah said this would happen to Babylon: “Their infants will be dashed in pieces before their eyes” (Isaiah 13:16). The psalmist isn’t making up a gruesome punishment. He demonstrates faith that what Isaiah and the other prophets foretold was going to happen. Babylon would fall and the exiles would return to the land.

So, let me ask you...

_ How do you normally handle difficult times? Especially when you are innocent? 

_ Is your first thought to take it all to Jesus?

_ Does your faith remain strong and growing stronger, or is it often shaken where you're tempted to give up on God altogether?

Let's Pray:

O Father, You remind us over and over in Your Word that You are always with us. You tell us not to fear and You draw us close to Your Presence. You’re the only place we find refuge in the storms that surround us at times, Lord. You’re the only place we can find peace and strength. So we ask You that Your words of truth and power would strengthen us in our inner being and bring life to our hearts continually. Thank you for your goodness and faithfulness to us. Thank you that you know the way we take and you have a plan and can be trusted. Amen.

Blessings,

Sue

Today's Scripture: Psalm 132 &  Hebrews 5:7-10 and Rev 21:1-4 again

I once heard a story about the heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali which tends to go along with what the psalmist is saying today.  In his prime Muhammad Ali was well known for saying, “I am the greatest of all time!” Yet years later, while suffering the effects of Parkinson’s disease, he took a visitor to see his trophies and awards and pointing to them he reportedly said, “It ain’t nothing.”

Mr. Ali got it! In essence our life and all our efforts count for nothing unless we live it with and for the Lord.

This is the point Psalm 127 is making when it says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”  

If you are living your life without God; convinced by the enemy that you do not need Him, you have been deceived. If you think you can do something FOR God, you have been deceived. The Psalmist seeks to remind us that apart from an active faith, trust and complete dependence upon God we are living our lives in vain; like building a castle on the sand. We know the castle won't last and neither will anything we do apart from Him.

Jesus, Himself explained it this way, " So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son also does in the same way." (John 5:19 AMP)

It is the flesh, or the pride of life that convinces us that we CAN do all kinds of things without God. In fact some live their entire life without trusting in Him and seem to do quite well, but the psalmist here is warning us against an attitude of self-sufficiency and self dependency in this psalm, and excluding God from our plans each day is the worst mistake we could make.

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

2 He goes on to write about our efforts
It is vain for you to rise early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of anxious labors—

For He gives [blessings] to His beloved even in his sleep. (V. 2)

And it isn't just this psalmist who is writing this; check out what others had to say:

 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21).

 "The one who calls you is faithful, and HE will do it." (1 Thes. 5:24 emphasis mine)

"For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13 AMP)

These are just a few of so many verses that imply God has a plan for each of us! He is Almighty God, who does not need us, but chooses to use us to build His Kingdom.  

Watchman Nee, in his book, The Spiritual Man, also writes of the futility of attempting to do anything apart from God; even "GOOD" things:

This one truth revolutionized my life and my walk with the Lord after already walking with Him for almost 20 years! 

Especially the way I prayed!

I was raised to believe that whether I made it to heaven or not depended on what I did - my works and just how good a person I was. Ephesians 2:8-9 convinced me that salvation was not based on anything I could do : 

For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;  not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].

BUT, I continued on with the mindset that I needed to do things for God! Imagine how ridiculous that is; Almighty God, who created this world and everything in it needs my help! Crazy, I know, but my prayers would go something like this, "Tell me what it is that You would like me to do and I'll go do it; to the best of my abilities, that is." 

But wait, His word says, "Faithful is He who calls you, who will also do it."  (1 Thes. 5:24)

Almighty God, who is able to "[carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us". (Ephesians 3:20)

I could write volumes on this one thought, but the bottom line is:

Our God does not need us to DO anything, except surrender our will to His! 

If we have already surrendered our lives to God and accepted His gift of eternal life (Eph 2:8-9) then we should surrender our wills each day to His so that He is able to use us to reach this world and build His Kingdom. What an amazing thought; that Almighty God doesn't need us, but chooses to use us! BUT, according to His word, only what He is able to do through us will have any  eternal value. 

I wish I could say more, but let me ask you:

_Have you accepted God's gift of eternal life? Are you 100% certain that when you take your last breath on this earth that you will spend eternity in heaven? 

_How do you pray? Do you ask Him what you can do for Him, or do you invite Him to come take over your life and use it for His glory?

_ Are you excited to see what our mighty God can do through you?

Let's pray:

O Father, my desire is to do Your will and to do it willingly and without question, even though my nature and tendency has often been to try to steer my own course independently of You. Forgive me Father, for the many times I've failed to call on You, leaned on, and trusted You to do it! Father I pray that each moment of each day I would be willing to present my entire life to You as a sweet-smelling savour.

Lord, I want to be changed into the person that You want me to be, and to leave behind the things of the flesh. I wish to walk in newness of life, and with Your Holy Spirit in the driving seat of my life each day.

Help me to prove what is Your good and acceptable will for my life and to allow Your Holy Spirit to change in me all those fleshly tendencies of life and selfish motives, that so often cause me to do things my way and sin against You. 

 May I walk this day wholly surrendered;  always rejoicing, never ceasing to commune with You, and giving thanks to You for Your great goodness to me. Thank You, Lord, for the work that You are doing in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Blessings,

Sue