365 Reflections

Psalm 138 is famous for the refrain between every phrase: "his steadfast love endures forever" It is recited in each of the 26 verses. One line after each of God's acts as recorded in Scripture from who He is to what He made to who He chose and how He is enthroned in heaven. What's interesting is when the Psalm uses the term  "steadfast love" it's using the Hebrew word, "Hesed", which means loyal love. This Hebrew word for love is almost exclusively used for God's relation to His people. HE alone is the TRULY loyal lover of His people. What a God we have! Do you know what to be thankful for? His LOYAL LOVE. When you read the account of Psalm 138, you learn just how loyal God is in spite of our doubtful His people were. He delivered Israel when they didn't trust or believe in Moses. Psalm 136:10 (ESV) to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, for his steadfast love endures forever; He saved them dramatically while th...

Psalm 135:1–4 (NLT) Praise the Lord ! Praise the name of the Lord ! Praise him, you who serve the Lord , 2 you who serve in the house of the Lord , in the courts of the house of our God. 3 Praise the Lord , for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music. 4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure. Psalm 135 begins the last section of the Psalms. They are known as the "Hallelujah" Psalms. The begin and end with a call to PRAISE the LORD!  There's something very interesting about these verses in Psalm 135. The peopel who are called to praise Him are the ones who have been brought closest to Him. The praise of the Lord is the responsibility of the Lord's chosen people.  They have every reason to praise Him for He has made them and given the all that is theirs. The Lord is sovereign and in control. Notice this verse: Psalm 135:6 (NLT)   The Lord does whatever pleases him throughout all ...

The great mistake we make in Evangelical churches today is making the music singing in the Church about us. Many hop from church to church looking for the right mix that "fits" them or makes them "feel" blessed from the singing.  Some only want particular Hymns, others only want particular praise songs in particular styles of music. How quickly we turn inward. I truly believe the gravitational pull of every Christian is to look inward and not outward! Don't get me wrong, we should feel the joy of God's presence, but the purpose of praise is to praise, not to experience! Psalm 134 is the highest point of the Psalms of Ascents. Pilgrims have gathered in the Temple in unity (Psalm 133), and are now in worship. In this high point of praise, the Psalmist calls us to WORSHIP and BLESS the LORD! Psalm 134:1–2 (ESV) Come, bless the Lord , all you servants of the Lord , who stand by night in the house of the Lord ! 2 Lift up your hands to the holy place and...

This is our calling... to love one another. Christianity is first and foremost a relational faith. Our relationship with God is made right by faith in Christ, and the implications of which lead to right relationships with one another. What does God want for His family? He wants us to get along! Psalm 133:1–3 (ESV) Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! 2 It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! 3 It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. We are in the midst of the ascent Psalms, the songs sung by Israel as they came to Jerusalem to celebrate one of the national feasts. This Psalm would have been sung when they finally met together in the Temple. It was a reminder that though they came from different tribes and walks of life - they all had a bond of brotherhood in thei...

Psalm 132:8 (ESV) Arise, O Lord , and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. This Psalm is the climax of the ascent Psalms. The pilgrim has made it to the holy city and is nearing the temple meditating on the Temple, the Ark of God, His presence and the promises made to David who established this city as Mount Zion. Whenever we hear of God's rule, we hear of His rest. His rest is the first thing He does after Creation. We had rest in the Garden but we sought to rule ourselves and the world has been at unrest ever since. So God has been bringing a people back to His rest. He brings the people into the wilderness to find rest from their slavery. He brings them to the land for rest from their wanderings. He gives them rest from their enemies. His people are made to live under His rule of REST. We live in unrest. We keep thinking someone or something other than God will give us the quiet rest that only He provides. We are performing a fool's errand lea...

Psalm 131:1–3 (ESV) O Lord , my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.     2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.     3 O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. There's really only one way to approach God. Humbly and open. Here we have a picture, a weaned child with its mother. Hebrew children were weaned at ages three or four, and this experience marked the end of their infancy.  But a child of that age usually does not have any desire to stray too far from mom. In fact, they often become even more attached than they were at 2 years of age. The exposure of life's reality yields to anxiety of the great unknown beyond their comfort zone. YET the Psalmist has quieted his soul. Notice the phrase: "I have calmed and quieted my soul." This is his activ...

Psalm 130 is a cry for forgiveness with one word missing: "Repentance." Many times we are overwhelmed by the idea that we may not be truly forgiven because we weren't sincere enough or didn't cry enough, or didn't express our sorrow enough. It's a trap. It's a trap because to believe your forgiveness is based on your performance in sorrow is to make God's grace dependent on your emotional toil! The Psalmist states flatly... Psalm 130:3–4 (ESV)   If you, O Lord , should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? 4 But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. Notice, the forgiveness of God in this verse precedes the fear of God in the worshipper. We come to fear God because we come to know our sin but also realize the depth of his forgiveness was always greater than we ever first realized.  The problem with many Church goers is NOT that they have a cheap view of grace, but rather a cheap view of the law. We measure ourselves by ...

The story is told that on one occasion, Karl Barth was asked why he believed in God, and he responded, "Because of Jews."  When his questioner, surprised, asked, "Why because of Jews?" Barth is said to have responded, "Find me a Hittite in New York City." David Kidner writes about Psalm 129: "Whereas most nations tend to look back on what they have achieved, Israel reflects here on what she has survived." No matter who has pursued them, killed them, exiled them, hated them or hunted them, the Jewish people are still around today... And they have their land back. What can account for this? What except the Sovereign hand of God who promised to make them a long-lasting nation of blessing. Psalm 129:1-2 (ESV)  “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— let Israel now say— “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me." What other people from the ancient world... Perrizites or Philis...

Psalm 128 is all about blessing. Psalm 128:1–6 (ESV) 1 Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord , who walks in his ways! 2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.        3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.        4 Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord .        5 The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! 6 May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel! The man who fears the Lord is blessed. There's no doubt about it. The Psalms are songs sung by the congregation. Weekly reminders of the blessing of doing life God's way. Notice the outward thrust of blessing from the man to his legacy. Those who fear the Lord are blessed with their own efforts and labor. Life will be good for them ...

Psalm 127:1–5 (ESV)   Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 2 It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.           3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord , the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. When I first read this Psalm I thought it was two different Psalms that have been forced into one. The first part is about building something - industry, work, labor. The second about family, children and rest (which often don't go together). But I was wrong. I learned that Jewish people see this Psalm as a unit because in their mind all areas of life flow togethe...

A common literary technique is the use of extremes right next to each other: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." "The more things change the more they stay the same" Here's the shortest and most profound in history: "Jesus wept." The joy of the whole Earth cried in sadness. The resurrection and the life looked on death and let the tears flow. That's powerful contrast. Here's another: Psalm 126:5–6 (NLT) Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. 6 They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest. I love this line. It's a contrasting reminder of heaven. Because while we are here on Earth - our lives are filled with tears and weeping. Frustrations in relationships, in work, in hopes and dreams and family and friends abound. We are met with our own frailties more and more the older we get. Every time we pass one test, another harder test is coming fo...