Psalm 116

1 I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.
3 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
4 Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6 The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
7 Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9 I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I believed, therefore have I spoken: I was greatly afflicted:
11 I said in my haste, All men are liars.
12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?
13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.
14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
16 O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people.
19 In the courts of the LORD's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Key Verse:
8 For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

Key Observation:
McGee: “This is one of the great psalms in Scripture. Some expositors place it next to Psalm 23 in greatness.”

Memory Verse:
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Devotion:
One of the great problems for Christians is that, like others, they die. Their end comes, perhaps in a more benevolent way than some of the wicked, but it comes. Sometimes they are martyred for their beliefs, and they die hideous deaths of torture and brutality. But just like all others, their lives seem to have an end. They die of old age. They die of cancer. They die in accidents. Just like all other people, they die.

And therein lies our faith—we trust that not is all as it seems. We look to Christ as the author and finisher of our faith. We look to Christ as the first fruits from the dead. Because of His resurrection, we know, by faith, that death no longer has the victory. By faith, by trusting and believing God, we look to overcome the last enemy, death.

This psalm speaks of deliverance for the saint; perhaps in a symbolic way it speaks of our Lord being lifted up and rescued by God the Father. It ought to speak especially to me because of the great promises therein. I know that, no matter how much trouble I get in, God can deliver me. When I pray for the sick around me, I have full faith that God is able to rescue and heal people—believe me when I say I have seen some incredible healings and rescues over my nearly 60 years. But everyone who is rescued or healed still is someday going to die.

But wait! There is some good news. Jesus promised his disciples to return one day in the same manner that they watched Him ascend. How I would have liked to watch Him ascend to heaven that day. The disciples knew that He had overcome death, and watching Him go “to prepare a place for us” must have been life-changing. I cannot help but wonder if that witness was not a good part of the reason that many of them were willing to give testimony unto death.

The good news is that He is coming back, evidently very close to the exact place that He ascended. (Zechariah 14) I think, and many in the faith today think, that time is not far off. A small shudder of ecstasy goes down my spine as I think that He may even return before I post this devotion. It is possible, and likely to happen sometime soon. And we are commanded to watch and wait. Guess what I am delighting in doing? Are you ready if it were today?

What if It Were Today?

1. Jesus is coming to earth again,
What if it were today?
Coming in power and love to reign,
What if it were today?
Coming to claim His chosen Bride,
All the redeemed and purified,
Over this whole earth scattered wide.
What if it were today?

(Chorus) Glory! Glory! Joy to my heart ’twill ring:
Glory! Glory! When we shall crown Him King;
Glory! Glory! Haste to prepare the way;
Glory! Glory! Jesus will come some day.

2. Satan’s dominion will then be o’er,
O that it were today!
Sorrow and sighing shall be no more,
O that it were today!
Then shall the dead in Christ arise,
Caught up to meet Him in the skies,
When shall those glories meet our eyes?
What if it were today?

3. Faithful and true He would find us here
If He should come today?
Watching in gladness and not in fear,
If He should come today?
Signs of His coming multiply,
Morning light breaks in eastern sky,
Watch, for the time is drawing nigh,
What if it were today?

Psalm 115

NIV
1 Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
2 Why do the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk,
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.
9 All you Israelites, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him, trust in the LORD—
he is their help and shield.
12 The LORD remembers us and will bless us:
He will bless his people Israel,
he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear the LORD—
small and great alike.
14 May the LORD cause you to flourish,
both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
16 The highest heavens belong to the LORD,
but the earth he has given to mankind.
17 It is not the dead who praise the LORD,
those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the LORD,
both now and forevermore.
Praise the LORD.

Key Verse:
3 Our God is in heaven;
he does whatever pleases him.
4 But their idols are silver and gold,
made by human hands.

Key Observation:
The unknown psalmest knows that “it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore. Our God Reigns!

Memory Verse:
1 Not to us, LORD, not to us
but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.

Devotion:
McGee points to the passage in Isaiah that mocks the idols Israel raised up to worship instead of worshipping God. (Isaiah 43) “13 The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line; he fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house.
14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.
15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.”

The psalmest is comparing the Lord God with the idols that are built by man. Notice:
1) God does whatever pleases him,
2) Our God is in heaven,
3) Our God is our help and shield,
4) He remembers us and will bless us,
5) The highest heaven belongs to God,
6) He will cause you to flourish,
7) Conclusion: “it is we who extol the LORD, both now and forevermore.”

Notice the facts about the idols:
1) Made by human hands,
2) Cannot speak,
3) Cannot see,
4) Cannot hear,
5) Cannot smell,
6) Cannot feel,
7) Conclusion: “Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them.”

Halleluiah! The Lord our God lives. We did not make Him; He made us. He knows us, has all the senses we have and vastly more. But one day, the Scripture says, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

God Is So Good

1. God is so good,
God is so good,
God is so good,
He's so good to me!

2. He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He cares for me,
He's so good to me!

3. I Love Him so,
I love Him so,
I love Him so,
He's so good to me!

4. I praise His name,
I praise His name,
I praise His name,
He's so good to me!

Psalm 114

NIV
1 When Israel came out of Egypt,
Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled,
the Jordan turned back;
4 the mountains leaped like rams,
the hills like lambs.
5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?
Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
you hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.

Key Verse:
2 Judah became God’s sanctuary,
Israel his dominion.

Key Observation:
Again is paramount the glory of the Lord in ruling the earth.

Memory Verse:
7 Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,

Devotion:
The psalm refers to the sea looking and fleeing; but also the Jordan turning back. One took place at the beginning of the Exodus with Moses as they crossed the Red Sea; the other took place with Joshua nearly 40 years later as they crossed the Jordan River. Says McGee: “These are the two stages of redemption, and they illustrate the two stages of our redemption. The Lord Jesus, on the cross, has delivered us from the penalty of sin—that is for the past. He delivers us from the power of sin in the present—provided we meet His conditions—and He will deliver us from the presence of sin, which has not yet been realized.” I would just add, by way of explanation, that the crossing of the sea is a beautiful picture, not only of baptism by immersion, but also of the death and resurrection of the believer. Once taken away from Egypt, and thus the penalty of sin, with its bondage and death evident in Egypt’s treatment of Israel, and secondly, into the promised land, from the power of sin.

Our Christian lives are twice delivered. First we are given a new life and filled with the very presence of God. But then we are offered the opportunity to live a life that is spirit powered if we meet the right conditions. Israel, too, had to meet the right conditions, but failed, not only in their willingness to follow God, but also in their ultimate rejection of their King.

As I think on this, I reflect that our Christian lives are similar to that of the Jews. Has not God rescued us from the power of sin? How many of us walk according to the Spirit? How often I have failed to walk the way I should have, though He has given me everything I need for success. We are to be twice redeemed. Once from the power of sin and death, and then to walk in His Spirit, and find redemptive living. I notice that many about me also fail in their walk, and I can not help but wonder if our record is not a whole lot like faithless Israel. May you and I be found faithfully walking with God on that day!

When We All Get to Heaven

1. Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He'll prepare for us a place.

2. While we walk the pilgrim pathway
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav'ling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

3. Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

4. Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we'll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open,
We shall tread the streets of gold.

Chorus:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We'll sing and shout the victory.

Lyrics: Eliza Edmunds Hewitt

Psalm 113

New International Version (NIV)

1 Praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD, you his servants;
praise the name of the LORD.
2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.
4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the LORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,
6 who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
8 he seats them with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the childless woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the LORD.

Key Verse:
3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.

Key Observation:
A halleluiah psalm, the beginning of the Hallel psalms (113-118)

Memory Verse:
2 Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.

Devotion:
McGee notes that these psalms were sung at all the feasts of Israel. I think they will be sung again, perhaps by the world, but certainly by Israel during the millennium. Notice the magnificence of this psalm. From the rising of the sun to its setting will the Lord’s name be praised. How far is that? I think worldwide would be the only answer. He is exalted over all the nations (peoples). When did that happen? The answer is, I think, not yet. For these reasons I think it is evident the psalm is a celebration of the rule of the Lord: the millennium.

Notice his care for the poor. He raises them from the dust and sets them with princes. He solves the problem of the childless women, filling her life as the mother of children. When he does rule on the earth, we can expect a changed earth. Man will still be in need of redemption, will still be in sin—but the sin and evil so present in this world will be greatly gentled. Life spans of humans will greatly increase. Even so, Come Lord Jesus, Come Quickly.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

1. Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee:
Israel's Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the saints Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

2. Born, Thy people to deliver;
Born a child, and yet a King!
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy precious kingdom bring:
By Thine own eternal Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-suficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Lyrics: Charles Wesley

Psalm 112

New International Version (NIV)

1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
who find great delight in his commands.
2 Their children will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,
for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
5 Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.
7 They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn will be lifted high in honor.
10 The wicked will see and be vexed,
they will gnash their teeth and waste away;
the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Key Verse:
6 Surely the righteous will never be shaken;
they will be remembered forever.

Key Observation:
The second hallelujah psalm. The second acrostic psalm.

Memory Verse:
1 Praise the LORD.
Blessed are those who fear the LORD,
who find great delight in his commands.

Devotion:
This psalm gives praise to God’s preservation of the righteous; of their inheritance and security before the Lord. Notice their blessings:
1) they are blessed, v.1.
2) children will be mighty in the land, v. 2
3) they will enjoy wealth and richness, v. 3
4) their righteousness endures forever, v. 3
5) even in darkness, the righteous will see a dawn, v. 4
6) they will have good because they lend and are generous, v. 5
7) they conduct their affairs with justice, v. 5

Notice what does not happen to them:
1) they will never be shaken, v. 7
2) they have no fear of bad news, v. 8
3) they have no fear because their hearts are secure, v. 8

These things happen because they have scattered their gifts to the poor and their righteousness endures forever. In the end the “wicked will be vexed and will waste away”. What a beautiful psalm! May I first point out that it seems to revolve around much behavior that might occur during the millennium. Secondly, I cannot help but wonder about verse 4: “Even in darkness light dawns for the upright,for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.” Does not this verse shout out about the coming of the Lord? When else will we see the darkest of darkness dawning with the “Blessed Hope”?

What a Friend We Have in Jesus

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!

2. Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

3. Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.

Lyrics: Joseph Medlicott Scriven

Psalm 111

1 Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
2 Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established for ever and ever,
enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever—
holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.

Key Verse:
1 Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.

Key Observation:
The first of three hallelujah psalms. McGee: “This is a hallelujah psalm for the works of God. And in the Hebrew it is a perfect acrostic, which we don’t see in our English translation.”

Memory Verse:
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.

Devotion:
The redemption of the people by the hand of the Lord is the main theme of this psalm. As I look back over my forty years with the Lord, I am amazed at his hand of redemption time and again in my life. He rescued me when I was a new believer; he is still rescuing me—sometimes still from my own folly—now that I seem to find a lot of white hair on my head.

What I am trying to say is that this psalm is a memorial for God’s greatness in redeeming the nation of Israel. Notice the promise to Israel: “he remembers his covenant forever.” Again, there are many in the church today who no longer believe God has a plan for Israel. Let me assure you that he does. Just as he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, he is unchanging in his covenant with Israel. I know he is the same as when I started walking with him forty years ago, though I have not been faithful. He is faithful, and his promises remain true. In the last psalm he promised: “Your people will offer themselves freely on the day of your power.” Could that not refer to the Israelites in mass returning to the Lord?

This is not a fantastic scheme on my part; there are many passages that teach the return of the Jews in the tribulation. Are not the 144,000 in Revelation Jews? Are they not lead by the two witnesses that the beast eventually kills? “Oh, my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel.” (Ez. 37 NIV) “It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.” (Zech. 14 NIV)

“The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zech. 14 NIV)

This Is My Father's World

1. This is my Father's world,
And to my list'ning ears,
All nature sings, and round me rings
The music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
His hand the wonders wrought.

2. This is my Father's world,
The birds their carols raise;
The morning light, the lily white
Declare their Maker's praise.
This is my Father's world,
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me ev'rywhere.

3. This is my Father's world,
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet.
This is my Father's world,
The battle is not done;
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And earth and heaven be one.

Lyrics: Maltbie Davenport Babcock

Psalm 110

(ESV)
Sit at My Right Hand
A Psalm of David.
1 The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool."
2The LORD sends forth from Zion
your mighty scepter.
Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
on the day of your power,[a]
in holy garments;[b]
from the womb of the morning,
the dew of your youth will be yours.[c]
4 The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs[d]
over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
therefore he will lift up his head.

Key Verse:
4 The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind,
"You are a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek."

Key Observation:
A messianic psalm.

Memory Verse:
5The Lord is at your right hand;
he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.

Devotion:
Matthew Henry: “This psalm is pure gospel; it is only, and wholly, concerning Christ, the Messiah promised to the fathers and expected by them.” (KJV) v. 3 “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth.” On this verse McGee has a beautiful quote from Spurgeon: “God will have more people saved than there will be lost.” The exact translation of the verse seems to be difficult; it is neither rendered such in NIV or ESV. But the idea of McGee I find fascinating here. He thinks that the verse is prompting the idea of the vast majority of people who will turn to the Lord in the millennium, an idea which seems biblical even if not found in this verse.

What a wonderful concept it is! That all should know the Lord, and follow him, and have faith in him. In today’s world, it is sometimes difficult for me in the state of California to find a Christian. I would not say that they are rare in California; they are uncommon. In that day it will be rare to find the person who does not know the Lord. How wonderful that day will be for mankind!

O That Will Be Glory

1. When all my labors and trials are o'er,
And I am safe on that beautiful shore,
Just to be near the dear Lord I adore
Will through the ages be glory for me.

2. When by the gift of His infinite grace,
I am accorded in Heaven a place,
Just to be there and to look on His face
Will through the ages be glory for me.

3. Friends will be there I have loved long ago;
Joy like a river around me will flow;
Yet, just a smile from my Savior, I know,
Will through the ages be glory for me.

Chorus:
O that will be glory for me,
Glory for me, glory for me;
When by His grace I shall look on His face,
That will be glory, be glory for me.

Lyrics: Charles Hutchinson Gabriel

Psalm 109

1 My God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,
2 for people who are wicked and deceitful
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3 With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.
6 Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his prayers condemn him.
8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.
9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.
10 May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven[a] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12 May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before the LORD,
that he may blot out their name from the earth.
16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the brokenhearted.
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing—
may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like water,
into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil of me.
21 But you, Sovereign LORD,
help me for your name’s sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26 Help me, LORD my God;
save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, LORD, have done it.
28 While they curse, may you bless;
may those who attack me be put to shame,
but may your servant rejoice.
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn them

Key Verse:
8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.

Key Observation:
An imprecatory psalm, a psalm of cursing.

Memory Verse:
26 Help me, LORD my God;
save me according to your unfailing love.

Devotion:
Two men are presented in this psalm. One is our Lord, with his humiliation being hinted strongly at. I find six things early in the psalm that are prayed for by David here, but perhaps meant to reflect our Lord: 1) wicked people open their mouths against me, 2) they speak lies, 3) hatred surrounds me, 4) they exchange friendship for accusations, 5) repay evil for good, 6) give hatred for friendship.

Later in the psalm is the other man, Judas, which we clearly know from Peter’s quotation of this psalm in Acts 1:20. Each of the curses begin in the NIV with “May” His curse is eight- fold: 1) May his days be few and another take his leadership, 2) May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow, 3) May his children be wandering beggars, 4) May a creditor seize all he has and strangers plunder his riches, 5) May no one extend kindness to him or his children, 6) May his descendants be cut off, and 7) May the sins of his fathers and his mother never be blotted out. The last “may curse” is but a repetition of the seventh.

Jesus is presented again in the last of the psalm, and gives seven reasons for God to hear his prayer (beginning in v. 22) 1) poor and needy, 2) heart is wounded, 3) fades away like a shadow, 4) shaken off like a locust, 5) knees give way from fasting, 6) body is thin and gaunt, 7) object of scorn to accusers.

I would note that those who are opposed to Jesus, and remain so, are not at all treated gently. We who are forgiven, the Bible says, are not treated as our sins deserve. But those who are not forgiven cannot expect mercy, for the mercy that was extended to the world they accepted not. “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten of God.” Why not believe today—for you and I know not what the morrow may bring. But we do know that mercy is available for now.

At the Cross

1. Alas, and did my Savior bleed,
And did my Sov'reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?

2. Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity, grace unknown,
And love beyond degree!

3. Well might the sun in darkness hide,
And shut His glories in,
When Christ the mighty Maker died
For man, the creature's sin.

4. Thus might I hide my blushing face
While Calvary's cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt mine eyes to tears.

5. But drops of grief can ne'er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do.

Chorus:
At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

Lyrics: Isaac Watts; Chorus: Ralph Erskine Hudson

Psalm 108

1 My heart, O God, is steadfast;
I will sing and make music with all my soul.
2 Awake, harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn.
3 I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing of you among the peoples.
4 For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 Save us and help us with your right hand,
that those you love may be delivered.
7 God has spoken from his sanctuary:
“In triumph I will parcel out Shechem
and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.
8 Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my washbasin,
on Edom I toss my sandal;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.”
10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
for human help is worthless.
13 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.

Key Verse:
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
and no longer go out with our armies?

Key Observation:
McGee: “This is another psalm of David, and it is a very wonderful psalm. The first half is the same as Psalm 57, and the last is like Psalm 60.”

Memory Verse:
13 With God we will gain the victory,
and he will trample down our enemies.
or-
5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.

Devotion:
To have the land is everything for Israel. None of the nations around Israel will even recognize her right to exist. Most of the nations around Israel have constitutions calling for her total destruction. I understand that one of the major disagreements between Palestinians and Israel is that Palestinians do not want to recognize Israel as a sovereign state. None of the nations around Israel want peace with her. Most of the nations around Israel are actively arming themselves for the purpose of wiping Israel out. The US, under a great Democrat president (Truman), recognized Israel during her first fifteen minutes of existence, and presidents of both parties since then have united to protect her from harm. Until now. And to our current president’s credit, he has stepped in on the side of Israel in the latest fracas with the Palestinians. Yet, for the first time, Israel is very nervous about the support of the president. According to polling in Israel, our president ranks as the most unpopular US president ever. They simply do not know if they can trust their longtime ally anymore.

They are pressed on every side, but not beaten. They are routinely discriminated against, but they still rise up and fight. For the most part they have forgotten their God, but their God has not forgotten them. For many years now he has prospered them. but still the world seeks to destroy them. Not all the world, at least not yet. It has been a long time since The Balfour Declaration, when Jews in smaller numbers began to regather, and Chafer began to note that world events seemed to be moving toward the end times. How much more now! Jesus said, “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by her enemies, you know its desolation is near.” (Luke 21) I know that the destruction of Israel, and its scattering to all the nations is being talked about here. But I believe the verse to mean more. Why else would the Lord continue: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled.”?

Expect to see Israel to stay in the top of the headlines. Expect to see her enemies express its ill-acts often and the problem to get only worse and worse. I personally do not see the US continuing in the role of Israel’s protector. I believe something will happen to divide Israel from her protector shortly. Could we be on the edge of something happening now? If we are, soon the world will see a large segment of Christians simply vanish in answer to the Lord’s prayer: “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” This is a two part prayer of Jesus: 1) That we may escape—our being taken up to heaven will be a signal that the time of the Gentiles is coming to a close, and that the judgment of the willful world is about to take place, and 2) That we may be able to stand before the Son of Man. On day soon we will stand before our Lord, and by our Lord shall we remain for eternity.

Notice that this psalm is talking about dividing up the land. The land will be parceled out in Shechem (v. 7) and various areas will be measured out. McGee feels that this psalm is looking forward to that time when the time of the gentiles comes to a close, when the Lord will be handing out Israel in measured parcels to the Israelites. It will be their possession. Right now, as I mentioned in the first sentence, to have the land is everything for Israel. But when that day comes, they will find something more is needed. So let me amend the sentence: To have the Lord and the land is everything to Israel.

From the Cross to the Crown

1. Look away from the cross to the glittering crown,
From your cares weary one look away;
There's a home for the soul, where no sorrow can come
And where pleasures will never decay.

2. Though the burdens of life may be heavy to bear,
And your crosses and trials severe;
There's a beautiful hand that is beckoning come
And no heartaches and sighings are there.

3. 'Mid the conflicts, the battles, the struggles and strife,
Bravely onward your journey pursue;
Look away from the cross to the glittering crown
That's awaiting in heaven for you.

Chorus:
Look away, look away,
From the cross to the glittering crown,
Look away, look away,
From the cross to the glittering crown.


Franklin Lycurgus Eiland

Psalm 107

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from east and west, from north and south.[a]
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands,
finding no way to a city where they could settle.
5 They were hungry and thirsty,
and their lives ebbed away.
6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way
to a city where they could settle.
8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
9 for he satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,
prisoners suffering in iron chains,
11 because they rebelled against God’s commands
and despised the plans of the Most High.
12 So he subjected them to bitter labor;
they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness,
and broke away their chains.
15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
16 for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron.
17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways
and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.
18 They loathed all food
and drew near the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them;
he rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings
and tell of his works with songs of joy.
23 Some went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
24 They saw the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest
that lifted high the waves.
26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;
they were at their wits’ end.
28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
29 He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
33 He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.
39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
42 The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.
43 Let the one who is wise heed these things
and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.

Key Verse:
31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Key Observation:
The Deuteronomy psalms begin here and end with 150.

Memory Verse:
28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.

Devotion:
Oh, the faithfulness of God when we get into trouble, even trouble of our own making! He is faithful, though we are faithless. Our God is a God of mercy. Chafer, in Salvation, says: “The provision of a Mediator and the grounds of mediation for the whole world does not save the world, but it does render the salvation of the individual possible in the righteousness of God.”

Because of God’s provision in Christ’s death on the cross, the world was forgiven. The only condition for salvation is to believe God. He has not at all abandoned the world, but is actively working through his Spirit to convict people of the need to believe. God must retain his righteousness, and the substitutionary death of his Son on the cross did exactly that. I am thinking of God’s foreshadowing and testing of the great patriarchs. Did he not ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Did he not cause Isaac to give up the birthright of Esau in favor of Jacob? Did he not cause Jacob to lose his favored son, Joseph? In all of these events God worked mostly behind the scenes to will his good purpose. Now is coming the time when no longer will he work in the shadows; his presence will fill the whole earth when he comes back to save Israel. The Bible says that in that day we shall know him, from the least to the greatest. In even the least of his saints, he has put his very presence, and we wait, with groanings which cannot be uttered for the presence of our Lord.

1. He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

2. He's got the wind and the rain in His hands.
He's got the wind and the rain in His hands.
He's got the wind and the rain in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

3. He's got the little tiny baby in His hands.
He's got the little tiny baby in His hands.
He's got the little tiny bay in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

4. He's got ev'rybody here in His hands.
He's got ev'rybody here in His hands.
He's got ev'rybody here in His hands.
He's got the whole world in His hands.

Psalm 106

1 Praise the LORD.[a]
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
2 Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD
or fully declare his praise?
3 Blessed are those who act justly,
who always do what is right.
4 Remember me, LORD, when you show favor to your people,
come to my aid when you save them,
5 that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may share in the joy of your nation
and join your inheritance in giving praise.
6 We have sinned, even as our ancestors did;
we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
7 When our ancestors were in Egypt,
they gave no thought to your miracles;
they did not remember your many kindnesses,
and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.[b]
8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
to make his mighty power known.
9 He rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up;
he led them through the depths as through a desert.
10 He saved them from the hand of the foe;
from the hand of the enemy he redeemed them.
11 The waters covered their adversaries;
not one of them survived.
12 Then they believed his promises
and sang his praise.
13 But they soon forgot what he had done
and did not wait for his plan to unfold.
14 In the desert they gave in to their craving;
in the wilderness they put God to the test.
15 So he gave them what they asked for,
but sent a wasting disease among them.
16 In the camp they grew envious of Moses
and of Aaron, who was consecrated to the LORD.
17 The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan;
it buried the company of Abiram.
18 Fire blazed among their followers;
a flame consumed the wicked.
19 At Horeb they made a calf
and worshiped an idol cast from metal.
20 They exchanged their glorious God
for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
21 They forgot the God who saved them,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 miracles in the land of Ham
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 So he said he would destroy them—
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him
to keep his wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
they did not believe his promise.
25 They grumbled in their tents
and did not obey the LORD.
26 So he swore to them with uplifted hand
that he would make them fall in the wilderness,
27 make their descendants fall among the nations
and scatter them throughout the lands.
28 They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor
and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;
29 they aroused the LORD’s anger by their wicked deeds,
and a plague broke out among them.
30 But Phinehas stood up and intervened,
and the plague was checked.
31 This was credited to him as righteousness
for endless generations to come.
32 By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD,
and trouble came to Moses because of them;
33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
and rash words came from Moses’ lips.[c]
34 They did not destroy the peoples
as the LORD had commanded them,
35 but they mingled with the nations
and adopted their customs.
36 They worshiped their idols,
which became a snare to them.
37 They sacrificed their sons
and their daughters to false gods.
38 They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was desecrated by their blood.
39 They defiled themselves by what they did;
by their deeds they prostituted themselves.
40 Therefore the LORD was angry with his people
and abhorred his inheritance.
41 He gave them into the hands of the nations,
and their foes ruled over them.
42 Their enemies oppressed them
and subjected them to their power.
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.
44 Yet he took note of their distress
when he heard their cry;
45 for their sake he remembered his covenant
and out of his great love he relented.
46 He caused all who held them captive
to show them mercy.
47 Save us, LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.
48 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praise the LORD.

Key Verse:
43 Many times he delivered them,
but they were bent on rebellion
and they wasted away in their sin.

Key Observation:
This psalm, in contrast to the last, tells us what Israel did wrongly, and yet God is faithful!

Memory Verse:
47 Save us, LORD our God,
and gather us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
and glory in your praise.

Devotion:
I like to think of the memory verse as “applying” both to Israel and Christians. The interpretation is to Israel, of course, but the application certainly does seem to fit a picture of the rapture. Will he not do a similar thing for us? Nevertheless, the world watches with bated breath as Israel struggles to continue to exist. Will she succeed? Only the intervention of the King of Kings will save her this time. The appointed time is coming to pass, and soon the glory of God shall be evident to all.

Here, in this psalm, is a perfect picture of the goodness of God. In spite of everything the Israelites did to disobey God, still, yet, God is faithful to his promises. It may well be that there are no people as far from God as Israel today. I read that atheism is the root of many of their citizens. Yet God is faithful. He will arouse Israel from their long sleep of forgetfulness, and he will remind them that he alone is God, and they will fall to their knees in thankfulness for their Savior.

How Great Thou Art

Oh Lord my God
When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds
Thy hands have made
I see the stars
I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout
The universe displayed

Then sings my soul
My Saviour, God, to Thee
How great thou art
How great thou art
Then sings my soul
My Savior, God, to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art

And when I think of God,
His son not sparing,
Sent Him to die,
I scarce can take it in;
That on the cross, my burden
gladly bearing He bled and died
to take away my sin

Then sings my soul
My Savior, God, to Thee
How great thou art
How great thou art
Then sings my soul
My Savior, God, to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art

When Christ shall come
With shouts of acclamation
And lead me home
What joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow
With humble adoration
And then proclaim My God
How great Thou art

Then sings my soul
My Saviour, God, to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art
Then sings my soul
My Saviour, God, to Thee
How great Thou art
How great Thou art

How great Thou art
How great Thou art...

Psalm 105

The Eternal Faithfulness of the LORD
1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
4 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
6 O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

7 He is the LORD our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
8 He remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
12 When they were few in number,
Indeed very few, and strangers in it.

13 When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
14 He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”

16 Moreover He called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the provision of bread.
17 He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who was sold as a slave.
18 They hurt his feet with fetters,
He was laid in irons.
19 Until the time that his word came to pass,
The word of the LORD tested him.
20 The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
21 He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
22 To bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.

23 Israel also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.
24 He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
25 He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.

26 He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27 They performed His signs among them,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His word.
29 He turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30 Their land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32 He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34 He spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 He also destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
The first of all their strength.

37 He also brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none feeble among His tribes.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light in the night.
40 The people asked, and He brought quail,
And satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.

42 For He remembered His holy promise,
And Abraham His servant.
43 He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with gladness.
44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles,
And they inherited the labor of the nations,
45 That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.

Praise the LORD!

Key Verse:
5 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

Key Observation:
McGee: “Psalm 105 is a hymn to God in history from Abraham to Moses. I am confident that it was written by David because the first part of this psalm is the same as I Chronicles 16:8-22, which tells about the time David brought the tabernacle into Jerusalem.”

Memory Verse:
3 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!

Devotion:
This is a psalm of praise for God in history. David wrote it (probably) to remember hundreds of years of God being in Jewish history. I am thinking of David, who could have written quite a praise of his own history with God. It might look something like this:
Oh give thanks to the Lord
For He is one to keep promises
His word is sure
His promises altogether come true
He took a poor shepherd boy
The least of the family
Anointed him to be king
To replace Saul
To slay a giant with a rock
To bring mercy and kindness and justice
His kingship shall be forever

I expect that I could go on quite awhile. Here is one describing and thanking God for this old sinner’s life:

Oh give thanks to the Lord
For He took a poor farmer boy
Laid his hand upon him
Overwhelmed him with dreams
Visions of his mercy and care
Of his intercessions at many places
Turning his life around
Putting his focus on the mercy of the Lord

Turning people to the Lord
Watching many come to him
Changing their lives forever
His mercy endures forever.
His majesty to all generations.
Giving me daughters and the children of daughters
To praise and serve Him

I expect that I could go on for a bit here too! Do you know that there are many blessings us older people look at as our years increase? He has loved me greatly even when I have not been faithful. My goal? To finish my course as set before me. To walk in the Spirit and be used of Him until the day that He at last comes. I do not think it will be long now, but long or short, on Him I do wait.

All People That on Earth Do Dwell

1. All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with mirth, His praise forth tell,
Come ye before Him and rejoice.

2. Know that the Lord is God indeed:
Without our aid He did us make;
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for his sheep He doth us take.

3. O enter then His gates with praise,
Approach with joy His courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.

4. For why? the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure;
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.

Lyrics: Attributed to William Kethe

Psalm 104

1 Praise the LORD, my soul.
LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
2 The LORD wraps himself in light as with a garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes winds his messengers,[a]
flames of fire his servants.
5 He set the earth on its foundations;
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it with the watery depths as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.
16 The trees of the LORD are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17 There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness, it becomes night,
and all the beasts of the forest prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey
and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go out to their work,
to their labor until evening.
24 How many are your works, LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.
27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
29 When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
may the LORD rejoice in his works—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
who touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
as I rejoice in the LORD.
35 But may sinners vanish from the earth
and the wicked be no more.
Praise the LORD, my soul.
Praise the LORD.[b]

Key Verse:
24 How many are your works, LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Key Observation:
A psalm of creation, praising the Creator.

Memory Verse:
33 I will sing to the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.

Devotion:
McGee: “This is a psalm of nature, or as The New Scofeld Reference Bible puts it, “Praise to the God of creation.”” While contemplating this psalm, I found myself wondering how much of the Bible would a scholar do away with, if he did away with anything that says God created the earth. We live in an age under the blinders of evolution, a doctrine started by a famous atheist who studied nature and found no God in it. Each age has its areas of blindness; not so long ago people were being sacrificed to appease their gods. Many people believed in Zeus and Poseidon, and lived their lives in fear of inadvertently offending a god. Some believed the sun revolved around the earth—perhaps a more natural belief since it was based on observation. Our blindness in our age is not limited to evolution, but evolution is certainly a starting point for much of our blindness.

This week a prominent aspirant to the presidency was soundly ridiculed in the press for talking about creationism and evolution being taught together in his state. The state assumes that evolution is a science, and therefore must logically be believed. However, the creed of evolution has basically stayed the same for the last 160 years. Dating systems must show an old earth; hence all systems which do not show an old earth are dispensed with. Evolution cannot be demonstrated in the short term; variations, or mutations, do not produce changed species. Therefore we are told to believe that in the “longer term” evolution does take place. I would hold that, if it cannot be demonstrated and replicated in the lab, it has no place in legitimate science. It certainly cannot be a hard science, such as we find in mathematics or chemistry. Instead it is much softer, based on the presuppositions of atheism of its founder, and which it cannot divorce itself from even today.

Genesis would be the first book to go; Exodus, confirming the one week of creation, would be next to follow. Psalms would be cast out because it affirms the Creator/God. In the New Testament all such eradications of the Creator would abolish most, if not all, of the books. In such an atmosphere as this, Psalm 104 appears. “How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” Choose whom you will believe, but choose wisely and swiftly, for the days of Grace are already coming to a close. As for me and my house, we have chosen to believe God, and it is reckoned unto us as salvation.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus

1. Come, Thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee:
Israel's Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the saints Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

2. Born, Thy people to deliver;
Born a child, and yet a King!
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now Thy precious kingdom bring:
By Thine own eternal Spirit,
Rule in all our hearts alone;
By Thine all-suficient merit,
Raise us to Thy glorious throne.

Charles Wesley

Psalm 103

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Key Verse:
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Key Observation:
McGee: “It looks forward to a new day; in fact, it looks beyond the Millennium into eternity where it will find the fullness of fulfillment.”

Memory Verse:
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Devotion:
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
These are some of my favorite words in a favorite psalm. In my inner spirit I am commanded to bless his holy name. I have read that it could be translated as the deepest part of me: bless his holy name.

I am in the generation that is scheduled to be raptured up soon, if the Lord is gracious to me, and it is my conviction that I will be given a new body. Many questions remain particularly to our generation, for the imminent coming is almost upon us, and I know that I wonder about the things that God might have planned for me in the future. Paul and John both hint at our reigning with the Lord, but the hints do little to me except tantalize. I have all eternity that God has given; what will I do with it?

But then I look at great passages like this psalm, that bespeaks of an awesome God and I know that I would be content to fall on my face before my God and spend eternity worshipping him. I think that is because this psalm tells us so much of what God is going to do for us:
1) Forgive our iniquities
2) Heal our diseases
3) Redeem our life from destruction
4) Crowns us with lovingkindness
5) Satisfies our mouth with good things
6) Removed our transgressions from us
7) He pities us

My favorite? I think it is in this verse: “12As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” McGee notices that the Lord did not say as far as the north is from the south, reasoning that if we go far enough north (on the earth) we will be going south again. Instead the Lord says he will remove our transgressions from us as far as the east is from the west. I know my transgressions and I am ashamed. I have no excuse for any sin, but much of my sin I did in spite of the knowledge of the love of my God. I can look forward to him removing that from me. “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19)

Again there are people who say that God has forgotten Israel or replaced them with his church. Absolutely a falsehood. People should have more confidence in his faithfulness: Jeremiah 31:37
37 Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.
God cannot be much plainer than that. Trust in Him and he shall bring it to pass. Or trust not—and He will anyway. He is God. Our job is to figure out his promises, and this is one that you can trust, now that you know it.

Only Trust Him
1. Come, ev'ry soul by sin oppressed
There's mercy with the Lord,
And He will surely give you rest
By trusting in His Word.

2. For Jesus shed His precious blood,
Rich blessings to bestow;
Plunge now into the crimson flood
That washes white as snow.

3. Yes, Jesus is the Truth, the Way,
That leads you into rest;
Believe in Him without delay
And you are fully blest.

Chorus:
Only trust Him, only trust Him,
Only trust Him now;
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.
Lyrics: John Hart Stockton

Psalm 102

1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.
4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.
10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O LORD, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.
13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
23 He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.
24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

Key Verse:
13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

Key Observation:
25Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

The above passage is quoted in Hebrews 1:10-12:
“He also says: In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands, They will perish, but you remain; they will wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you will remain the same, and your years will never end.”
Thus we know that this is a messianic psalm.

Memory Verse:
12But thou, O LORD, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

Devotion:
McGee: “This is a messianic psalm that pictures the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane.” Notice these descriptions:
1) My days are consumed like smoke (v. 3);
2) My bones are burned (v. 3);
3) My heart is smitten and withered (v. 4);
5) My bones cleave to my skin (v. 5);
6) My enemies reproach me (v. 8);
7) They are sworn against me (v. 8);
8) I have eaten ashes like bread (v. 9);
9) They mingled my drink with weeping (v. 9);
10) Thy indignation and thy wrath have lifted me up and cast me down (v. 10);
11) My days are like a shadow that declinith (v. 11);
12) I am withered like grass (v. 11).

That is a somewhat complete picture of our Lord on the cross. But notice verse 13: “13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.” The Lord who freely came and gave of himself (“I lay down my own life; no man takes it from me.”) will also return the second time to show mercy to Jerusalem and Israel. In that day and at that time the Lord shall rule over all, and the earth shall know peace for the first time. “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day there shall be one Lord, and his name one.” (Zechariah 14:9)

Again there is a sharp division of God’s plan for Israel and his plan for the church. We learn in the New Testament that Christ is coming for the church that “we might be saved from the wrath to come”. Israel has waited for its Messiah to come now for many thousands of years, blinded to his first coming, but blind no longer when He returns for the second time. Says Chafer in his kingdom book: “This kingdom has ever been Israel’s only hope and was the consolation for which she waited when Christ was born (Lk. 2:25)” While there are many things shared in God’s plan, it is evident that He has separate plans for both the church and Israel. We, the church, are waiting for our “Blessed Hope”. Israel is awaiting their ruling king. God fully intends to keep both promises. They that wait on Him shall in no wise be disappointed!

Near the Cross

1. Jesus, keep me near the cross
There a precious fountain,
Free to all, a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary's mountain.

2. Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the Bright and Morning Star
Sheds its beams around me.

3. Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day
With its shadow o'er me.

4. Near the cross I'll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand
Just beyond the river.

Chorus:
In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest, beyond the river.

Lyrics: Frances Jane (Fanny J.) Crosby

Psalm 101

1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
6 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.

Key Verse:
2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

Key Observation:
Who else could possibly accomplish the key verse other than our Messiah? This psalm is describing Christ’s coming earthly rule.

Memory Verse:
1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.

Devotion:
McGee says of this psalm: “It is all about Him again, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the King of righteousness and peace, and He is going to reign on this earth.” The psalm could be of no other for notice that: 1)He is wise (v.2) , 2) He behaves in a perfect way (v. 2), 3) He will have a perfect heart (v. 2), 4) He will not know wickedness (v.3), 5) He is not froward (contrary) (v. 4), He will watch over the faithful (v.6), 6) and He will cut off all the wicked doers from the city of the Lord (v. 7 & 8). I think it obvious that no earthly king could possibly accomplish these tasks save the Messiah. It therefore is prophetic and looks to the time Christ is reigning on earth.

Chafer, in his book on the kingdom, says: “The Bible revelation regarding the kingdom presents the purpose, process and final realization of divine government in the earth. This objective is the heart of the kingdom prayer: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” I think it important to realize this vision of this psalm is given to Israel; it may fit Christians by application, but it is God promising to Israel that He will one day reign on earth. The kingdom prayer, so often recited in churches even today, is also a prayer taught to Israel. Our prayer is not for the kingdom to come; our prayer is to see our Christ return for us.

Origen was first responsible for allegorizing our scriptures, a despicable practice still maintained by many today in our churches. Prophetic psalms should be taken literally when possible, just as any other scriptures. I believe is the old adage: “When the simple sense makes the best sense, seek no other sense.” If Bible learners would follow this simple rule I believe they would be a lot closer to what God would teach them through His Word. Chafer remonstrates those who believe otherwise: “Accepted inferences of so-called Postmillennialism and Premillennialism as possible coexisting systems of interpretation constitute a serious challenge against the dignity and purpose of the Bible itself.”

I have many friends who are caught up in these false teachings. I think many start okay, but somewhere they stray off. Often the interpretations of the Bible are taught side-by-side, and students come away feeling that they can choose the interpretation that they are most comfortable with. If I want to be tough, I will choose Post-Trib. If I want to hope for mercy I will believe Pre-Trib. This is absolutely a false belief! Do you not know that God is truth? Freely He imparted the truth to us, and there are not several truths for us to pick and choose from; there is one truth, and it is the solemn obligation of every Bible reader (Christian, of course, for who can see into the Bible except the Spirit give him understanding) to read it carefully, noting who God is speaking to, and what might be the applications of particular verses to his life. I submit that there would be more agreement in churches if we were all wise enough to see the Bible as a cogent literal message to us.

Holy Bible, Book Divine

1. Holy Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came;
Mine to teach me what I am.

2. Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Savior's love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to punish or reward.

3. Mine to comfort in distress,
Suff'ring in this wilderness;
Mine to show, by living faith,
Man can triumph over death.

4. Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sinner's doom;
O thou holy Book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.

Lyrics: John Burton, Sr.

Psalm 100

1 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Key Verse:
3 Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Key Observation:
A millennial psalm asking “all ye lands” to worship the Lord.

Memory Verse:
5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Devotion:
Know that it is he that has made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. This psalm is directed to the Israelites, but it is ours by application. For the Israelites it looks forward to the time of peace on earth, when the Lord reigns in Zion. For us, Christ included us in saying that he has other sheep not of this pen. Christians are sheep “not of this pen”.

Praise and thankfulness sometimes are seen too little of in many Christians’ lives. This psalm pictures a people so delighted that they would sing. They would express thankfulness; they would praise their Creator God. I cannot even begin to imagine what my life will be like when Christ returns and I am remade. But I can well imagine, from what little I do know about my awesome God, that I could spend all of eternity just in praise to God. How about a little of that enthusiasm infecting you before his return? We do serve an awesome God!

Our God is an Awesome God

Rich Mullins

When He rolls up His sleeves
He ain't just putting on the ritz
(Our God is an awesome God)
There's thunder in His footsteps
And lightning in His fists
(Our God is an awesome God)
And the Lord wasn't joking when He kicked 'em out of Eden
It wasn't for no reason that He she'd His blood
His return is very close and so you better be believing that
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
And when the sky was starless
In the void of the night
(Our God is an awesome God)
He spoke into the darkness
And created the light
(Our God is an awesome God)
Judgment and wrath He poured out on Sodom
Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross
I hope that we have not too quickly forgotten that
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom, power, and love
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God (Our God is an awesome God)
He reigns from heaven above (He reigns from heaven above)
With wisdom, power, and love (With wisdom, power, and love)
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God

Psalm 99

1 The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved.
2 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.
3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.
4 The king's strength also loveth judgment; thou dost establish equity, thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.
5 Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.
7 He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: they kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them.
8 Thou answeredst them, O LORD our God: thou wast a God that forgavest them, though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions.
9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Key Verse:
2 The LORD is great in Zion; and he is high above all the people.

Key Observation:
A millennial psalm with the Lord ruling the earth.

Memory Verse:
3 Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

Devotion:
The Lord reigns in Zion. People are to come worship at his holy will. This did not happen ever in the history of Jerusalem. Some say that it will not happen because Israel did not keep the law. But the testament of scripture is plain. God is sovereign and He did not make promises to Israel without fully knowing that Israel would not keep them. He is the same God of the glorious gospel; his words change not. He tells us over and over that His promises would come true even if we were faithless.

Paul tells us that this is a “time of hardening” (Romans 11), and tells us that “God did not reject his people whom He foreknew”. It never ceases to perplex me that so many can point accurately to God’s sovereignty in the New Testament without making the same application in the Old Testament. Matthew Henry appears to have gone astray here, ascribing this psalm somehow with a gospel fulfillment: “Still we are celebrating the glories of the kingdom of God among men, and are called upon to praise him, as in the foregoing psalms; but those psalms looked forward to the times of the gospel, and prophesied of the graces and comforts of those times; this psalm seems to dwell more upon the Old-Testament dispensation and the manifestation of God’s glory and grace in that.” I know not Matthew Henry’s time, but my time I know, and in the past century mankind has committed tremendous atrocities that do little to show “the graces and comforts of those times.” Arguably I would maintain that mankind has failed in its part; we were to carry the gospel to all creatures, and we have failed. We are to bring peace to a warring world, but sometimes we have made the wars worse. We created a nation under which Christianity might flourish; instead we have founded a nation that functions as atheist. Our sins in no way are less than the sins of faithless Israel. Yet we know that God is faithful!

The same God has a plan for his nation, Israel. In no way has He departed from it. The Lord is coming to reign in Zion, and all of the world will gather there in worship of the King of Kings.

To God Be the Glory

To God be the glory, great things he hath done!
So loved he the world that he gave us his Son,
who yielded his life an atonement for sin,
and opened the lifegate that all may go in.

Refrain:
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
let the earth hear his voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father thru Jesus the Son,
and give him the glory, great things he hath done!

2. O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
to every believer the promise of God;
the vilest offender who truly believes,
that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
(Refrain)

3. Great things he hath taught us, great things he hath done,
and great our rejoicing thru Jesus the Son;
but purer, and higher, and greater will be
our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see

Psalm 98

1 O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
2 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
5 Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
6 With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
8 Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Key Verse:
3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Key Observation:
Another millennial psalm picturing the rule of the Christ.

Memory Verse:
9 Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Devotion:
Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity. So ends this psalm, another affirmation that the Lord is not done with Israel, as some would say, but will yet fulfill his promises after the 70th week of Daniel. The scripture is replete with prophecies of “that day” or “at that time”. A simple study of the book of Zechariah reveals much that will take place just before the Lord comes to rule. “On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves.” (Zech. 12:3)

Further: “And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” (Zech. 12:9) At that time, on that day, Israel will recognize their sin: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they will mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” (Zech. 12:10) “I will say, “These are my people,” and they will say, “The Lord is my God.” (Zech. 13:9)

His return to earth to set up that kingdom will be sudden and dramatic: “On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west to a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.” The foot of Jesus shall touch the mount on that very place where he ascended. For He is not slack concerning his promise which was: “1Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” ( Acts 1:11) Evidently geography is to change dramatically, not the least for the reason of making room for all the Christians that Jesus brings with him. “Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.” (Zech. 14:5) The holy ones are going to be you and me, and all those who have believed God the past 2,000 years. What a treasured future we have to look forward to!

The King is Coming

Praise God, He's coming for me

The marketplace is empty, no more traffic in the street
All the builder's tools are silent, no more time to harvest wheat
Busy housewives cease their labor, in the courtroom no debate
Work on earth has been suspended as the King comes through the gate

Happy faces line the hallway, those whose lives have been redeemed
Broken homes He has mended, those from prison He has freed
Little children and the aged hand in hand stand all a-glow
Who were crippled, broken, ruined, clad in garments white as snow

Chorus:
The King is coming, the King is coming
I just heard the trumpet sounding and soon His face I'll see
The King is coming, the King is coming
Praise God, He's coming for me

I can hear the chariot's rumble, I can see the marching throng
And the fury of God's trumpet spells the end of sin and wrong
Regal rolls are now unfolded, heaven's grandstands all in place
Heaven's choir is now assembled, start to sing 'Amazing Grace'

Praise God, He's coming for me, for me, for me