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.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment