Friday, July 21, 2023

KNOWING THE TRUE GOD FROM THE PSALMS #4

 

KNOWING the True God 

Finding out in the Psalms

by
Keith Hunt
                
PSALM 78

     The Eternal tells us to give ear to His law, and incline our
ears to the words of His mouth (verse 1). Over and over gain this
is the message the Holy One cries out to you and to me. 
     We are to teach our children the law and commandments of the
Lord, that they may also teach their children, that all may set
their hope in God, and keep His commandments. And so may not be a
stubborn and rebellious generation, as was their fathers in days
gone by (verses 4-8).
     The mighty works of the Lord are declared in the remaining
verses. He is a merciful God, slow to anger, and He remembers
that we human flesh as weak, and as the wind that comes and moves
on and disappears for a while.
     We need to praise our Father for His love and patience and
mercy towards us. We need to give Him out thoughts during the
day, thank Him, praise Him, for all we have and all we can do
with whatever He has given us to do with. Kind and wonderful are
His works towards us. He is there wanting us to fellowship and
have our hearts set upon His holy ways and commandments.

PSALM 79

     When in times of being down and out, we can know He is
there. We can look to Him for help and deliverance. I can
remember when moving to Calgary nearly 12 years ago now, how I
was as low physically as I've ever been in my life. I was without
work, had no money in the bank, was living on unemployment money,
which was barely enough to exist on. I know what it is like to go
to the "charity soup kitchen" for a meal. I asked the Lord for
His help. He told me to use the yellow pages in the phone book in
the local Library and I would find work in Calgary, in the "shoe
repair trade" - and I did. I came to Calgary, put in a few hard
years of climbing back up in this physical world. But I remained
faithful to my God - I continued to serve Him, work on this
Website, and He once more blessed me above what I asked.
Especially in spiritual matters, being able to do His work of
teaching His word and the spreading of the Gospel around the
world, via this Website, and now "youtube" is the greatest
blessing of all.

PSALM 80 - 84

     Yes, God is able to lift us up, and cause His face to shine
on us, when we are down. He is able to turn things around. Like
Job, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. But in remaining
faithful through hard times, in sometimes knowing what it is like
to have just about nothing in this physical life left, but a
broken down car, a little dog, a few good friends to help, and
finally a job once more. Then you can begin to really understand
some of the plea for help in these Psalms. For no matter what the
situation you find yourself in keeping focussed on the Lord is
the answer as you work your way through life's trials, tests, and
problems.

"My soul longeth, yes, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord:
my heart and my flesh cries out for the living God. Yes, the
sparrow has found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King, and my God (Even as Jerusalem and the Temple lay
desolate - the very ruins gave a home for nesting to the sparrow
and the swallow). Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they
will be still praising thee. Blessed is the man whose strength is
in thee .... they go from strength to strength ... O Lord God of
hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob ... for a day in
thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a
doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of
wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will
give grace and glory: no good thing will He withhold from them
that walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that
trusts in thee" (verses 2-12).

PSALM 85

     Many may be the hard times, the downs, the troubles that
can come upon the sons of man. But the Lord will hear the cry of
the humble and those who desire His love and mercy and help in
time of need. He will in time, His time, speak peace to His
people, to His saints. But they must not let themselves return to
folly and sin. For His saving hand, His salvation, is nigh unto
them that have respectful fear. Mercy and truth will meet
together; righteousness and peace will kiss. Truth shall still be
in the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. The
Lord will give that which is good. He will lead us in the way of
His steps and His righteousness.

PSALM 86

     The Lord is near plenteous in mercy towards those who will
call upon him. There is no One in all imaginations of men who
make-up their own gods, like the Holy One. There is no works like
unto His. It is in the plan of God that all nations will come to
worship Him. It is God that gives the victory for us over our
enemies ... whatever or whoever they be.

PSALM 87

     Zion is still to be remembered and blessed by the Lord. The
day will come when she shall be the blessing of the Lord. In the
prophecies of God, it is His will that Zion shall be where Jesus
will dwell when He comes again to rule the nations of the earth.

PSALM 88

     In the situation of possible death, and a cry to the Lord to
live yet more years (as once Hezekiah cried out and was granted
more years - Isaiah 38 with 2 Kings 20), we need to remember that
indeed in death, the dead will see no wonders; they will not die
and then rise up in the next second and start praising God. God's
loving kindness and faithfulness cannot be declared to the dead.
God's wonders cannot be seen in the dark, nor His righteousness
in the land of forgetfulness (verses 10-12). This also is part of
the truth of the true God. Death is a sleep. Many parts of
Scripture shown this reality - death is not living - death is
dark and quiet - death is forgetfulness. Death is sleep, and we
await the resurrection to LIFE - for the saints a resurrection to
glorious immortal life at the coming of Christ to rule the earth.
This subject is expounded in full in-depth detail on this
Website.

PSALM 89

     God has said He has made a covenant with David. David's
throne was to last forever. God's faithfulness would never be
taken away from David. David's hand would be set in the midst of
the seas. The throne of David would be as the days of heaven.
Even if his children were sinners, and departed from God's law
and commandments, and so be punished accordingly, nevertheless
God's covenant with David would never be broken. David's seed and
his throne would endure as the sun before God. It would be
established forever as the moon

     Indeed that is so to this day. The very throne of David
resides in the land called BRITAIN - surrounded by the sea. A
land flowing with rivers, a land of milk and honey. A land that
formed the largest far-flung Empire of all time - the British
Commonwealth. And that THRONE of Britain is indeed the very
throne of David. Have you ever heard of such a thing in the
modern space- age world - a throne going back thousands of years,
still in HUGE magnitude as thrones of kings are concerned. Just
wait again for the next "Commonwealth Games" to happen, and see
what a single throne can still do - dozens and dozens of nations
WILLINGLY coming together under that throne to perform an
athletic competition of world-wide scope.

     God is quite able thank you, to promise something to a man,
and KEEP that promise ALIVE and well and in existence as like the
sun and the moon.

PSALM 90

     The somewhat quoted verse in this Psalm that God had
determined to give 70 years as a life span to mankind (verse 9-
10). They seem to forget the "and if by reason of strength they
be fourscore years." It is only a round figure of 70 given. The
writer obviously knew a lot of people lived past 70 years. Many
today live well past their 70th year. It is by reason of
"strength" they so do. Hence it is a good wise way to live, that
is, keeping yourself fit and well and strong .... then you have a
good chance of going well into your 70s or beyond. By reason of
"strength" (eating healthy and observing all the other laws of
health) my Dad is 89 years old (as of November 2009) and still
doing well. 

………………………. 

          My dad had a stroke at age 91. He regained his speech, but lost the use of his

           legs, so was in a wheel chair. He retained some of his long time memory, but

           his short term memory was all over the map. He lived to be 94.  He died June 30

           2014.  He wanted me to take his and my mother's ashes back to our little village

           in South Wales, to the grave spot and head stone he had already payed for.

            I was able to do this in the summer of 2016; all went smoothly, that was also

            a blessing, as travels by planes can be a mess at times.

                           ....................


To be continued

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