25 March 2010

Mar 25 (Psa 91, 95, 108, 121,143-4)


Songs For Times of Trouble


Psalm 91


This is a comforting song of David that stresses to us where our focus should be when faced with hardships. We have a safe place to go...God!

I tell my kids that I used to play the game "Tag" a lot in grade school. When someone was chasing me, I was filled with excitement and some trepidation, since I didn't want to be caught and be "it." But once I touched safely to home base, I was immune to becoming "it" and I had a great feeling of relief come over me.

This is much like what David is describing when he realizes that God is our home base...our refuge and safe zone. If we turn our troubles over to Him, we can abandon fear and trust in Him to handle our problems.


Psalm 95

This psalm is encouraging us to worship and praise the LORD! If we are His, and we have His Spirit in us, we should be worshipping Him in many ways, and in many instances during each day.

We worship the LORD in church through songs, tithing, prayer and teaching. We worship the LORD by encouraging others, helping others and comforting fellow believers. We also worship the LORD by living more Christ-like and being His ambassadors on this earth.

There is an old saying that exhorts us to live a life of worship to the LORD:

Preach the Gospel, and if you have to, use words!

Our lives need to be evident of salt and light to the world. Not only are we to study the Word and come to know Him better through it, but we are to live the Word, by loving and serving others.


Psalm 108

(v.1) This is what we need...a steadfast heart towards God! If we focus on Him in good times and in bad, we will be under His mercy and love, and He will see us through.

(v.8) Judah is My lawgiver...this is another reference to the Messiah and King of Kings coming from the tribe of Judah.

(v.13) It is so hard for us to remember to let God lead our battles. We are so wired by our sinful nature to do things on our own. But when we are born again, we realize that we are empowered by the Almighty, and He can fight our battles for us, and He will win!


Psalm 121

(v.4) This is a very important verse! God made an unconditional covenant with Abraham and the nation of Israel in Genesis 12. God is not through with His covenant! He will see Israel through its troubles in the last days after He has called His Bride home in the rapture.

God doesn't sleep or take time off. He is outside time, where He can see the beginning and the end at the same time. The best way for us to understand this, is to picture a helicopter hovering over a parade. Compared to us on the street, seeing the parade pass by, the helicopter can see the front and back of the parade at the same time.

(v.7) Once we become born again by accepting what Christ did for us, and allowing Him to be our LORD and Savior, our souls are sealed and untouchable by Satan. We are justified to the Father by the blood of His Son! Once we are justified, we are free from the penalty of sin. To illustrate further, here are the stages of salvation:

Justification ~ Free from the PENALTY of sin by Christ's blood

Sanctification ~ Free from the POWER of sin by the Holy Spirit

Glorification ~ Free from the PRESENCE of sin in heaven with our Father
There is the Holy Trinity...the Elohim...in action for our salvation!!!


Psalm 143

(v.5) David gives us the secret to times when we are overwhelmed with fear and grief...meditate upon the love and mercy of God! By remembering what God has done in the Bible with all the people in it, we can have faith that He will do the same for us now.

(v.8) It's good practice to pray first thing in the morning, to start your day in prayer and worship. It's also good to read some of His Word before we face the day...He speaks to us this way, and we often come upon situations that His Word has spoken to us that morning.

(v.11) God saves us because that is His name...Yeshua (Jesus) means God Saves! He saves us because that's who He is. If He were to do anything else, it would be against His character.


Psalm 144

David sung this song to the LORD before going out to battle. He references God as his Rock, and his shield.

We too are in a battle...the battle for the hearts of mankind. Satan and his demons are fighting the angels of God and us for the hearts and minds of the lost. The Apostle Paul tells us to gird ourselves with the Armor of God:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
~ Ephesians 6:11

~ waist of truth

~ breastplate of righteousness

~ feet with the Gospel

~ shield of faith

~ helmet of salvation

~ sword of the Spirit

~ protection of prayer



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