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Psalm 103:6-12, The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.  He made known all His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.  The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.  He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever.  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities.  For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

 

Almost all of the Psalms in the versions of the Bible I read have a title or quick description of what is in the Psalm.  Psalm 102 is described as a “prayer of the inflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord.”  Psalm 103 is described as “praise for the Lord’s mercies”.  I doubt it is coincidence that one follows the other.  Do you remember a time when you went through an extra long trial or experienced some type of deep emotional hurt?  Or was there a time when you went through the discipline process because of sin in your life?  Perhaps you are experiencing something like this now.  If so, you need to read all of Psalm 103 because it shows that God can take that deep hurt and heal it.  Read the first few verses of the Psalm and notice that it begins with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord for what He has already done; that is where healing begins.

 

Let me point out some benefits for giving praise to the Lord because of His mercies.  He forgives, heals diseases (v. 3); He redeems your life from destruction (v. 4).  He satisfies your desires with good things (v.5) and His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him (v. 17).  And, He removes the sins from those who come to Him through His Son (v.12).

 

I used to have a poster with the question, “Lord, how much do You love me?” The rest of the picture was picture with Jesus with His arms extended saying, “This much”.  It signifies that Jesus Christ was willing to stretch out His arms on a cross and dies for whosoever might ask for His forgiveness.  “By doing this He broke the barrier that separates people from Himself by canceling the debt of sin (all your iniquities) so that anyone can enjoy a loving relationship with Him.  God’s love removes a person’s sin as though they never existed” (David Jeremiah Study Bible Comment).  That’s the meaning of verse 12 above; it is impossible to bring east and west together!  God’s love hates what is wrong and embraces what is right because that is His character.  His great love for each of us is the reason He sent His Son to take our place on a cross; we obtain the mercies describes in Psalm 103 when we accept Jesus as our Savior and live with Him as Lord.  God knew that we are unable to earn our way into His kingdom.  Verse 13 and 14 says, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.  For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are but dust.”  The Father removes the sins of the one who comes to Him through the Son; His great mercy results in sins being remembered no more.

 

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Psalm 46:8-11, Come behold the works of the Lord, who has made desolations in the earth.  He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; he burns the chariots in the fire.  Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!  The Lord of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

 The Scriptures contain many references that remind us that God is in control of every situation we face.  Because this is so He is our refuge in time of trouble, when the nations are at war, and when the storms are raging around us.  “When He seems to be doing nothing He is working!” (from the song Way Maker).  The knowledge that God knows exactly what is happening around this country with the stupid stuff going on and a virus and everything else going on around us should bring comfort to those who have placed their faith and trust in Him, in the One who created all things, the One who knows tomorrow. 

 I have written some notes from something I read that this Psalm was written during the time the Assyrians were laying siege to Jerusalem.  Those within the city had no control over their situation; all they could do was wait.  The first verse of the Psalm expresses their hope, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  I believe I do not exaggerate when I write that in many ways the country we have known is in a bit of trouble; there are crazies out there and those who are trying to completely rewrite our country’s history and lie their way into control of the government.  Why?  Because they want power and will do anything to get it.  We might be “in” trouble but we are never beyond God’s help and love.  Whether you face difficulties in your personal life or agree with me about this country, a choice needs to be made.  Do you do your own thing and fail or do you trust God and not fear.  Put that way, I did not give you much choice because the choice is obvious.  There might be turmoil chaos all around you but God’s presence in your life brings comfort and refuge. 

 There is coming a day, and it might be soon, when He makes wars to cease and objects of warfare to be broken.  Jesus is coming!  Be ready!  Be looking for Him!  Until that time, you and I need to “be still and know that He is God and will be exalted among nations”.  To be still could be translated as “let go”, quit holding on to things that keep you from exalting God and giving Him the proper place, the due place in your life.  When He cannot be seen in the chaos around you, being silent and being still are needed to hear Him and know He is present and has a plan for tomorrow!

 So, stop worrying about tomorrow.  Stop worrying about the things you cannot control and rest in the One “who is a very present help in time of trouble”.

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Psalm 42:1-2, As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.  My soul thirsts for the living God.  When shall I come and appear before the living God?  

Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Nothing seems to quench one’s thirst like a glass of water.  Some look to substitutes like Gatorade or soda (pop) or something else to do what only water can do.  There are times when water is not near and the thirst seems to be more than the person can bear.  The athlete, the worker who is in the sun put all their effort into quenching their thirst as quickly as possible.  Oh, the happiness that comes when the water is drank. 

At this time David was fleeing from Absalom and was not concerned about singing a new song to the Lord.  The Psalm indicates that he was depressed and had no sensing of God’s nearness to him; he desperately wanted.  Verse three of the Psalm tells us that tears flowed from his eyes and those around him were continually asking where his God was.  The Psalm indicates that Davis did not know.  But as the entire Psalm is read, verse 11 speaks of putting one’s hope in God during times of deep distress like David was going through.  Once again, the answer to the question of where God is - praise!

“When people worship and praise God, they become aware of His magnificence.  Suddenly, the circumstances of life begin to pale in comparison to the greatness of God.” (David Jeremiah Study Bible).  As water is essential for physical life, so God and His presence is essential for real satisfaction in our life.  Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  For true Believers, to stop thirsting for God is to die spiritually; we must not allow anything to stop our intense desire for the things of God.  The things or cares for the world, pursuit of earthly pleasure can choke out the hunger and thirst for God and can keep one from the desire to pray and read one’s Bible.

“Those who thirst for God and yearn for a greater manifestation of His presence may experience delay.  Yet the faithful believer will continue thirsting and seeking God.  The Lord promises to bless those who hunger and thirst after righteousness rather than settle for less than His full blessing.  In the midst of God’s silence, we must continue to press on to know God and to experience a greater measure of the Holy Spirit.  We must not despair, but put our hope in God and trust in His steadfast love.” (The Life in the Spirit Study Bible)

I pray almost everyday that each of my family will have a hunger and thirst for righteousness, that each of them will have a greater desire to pray and find time to read their Bible.  My desire for them is to desire God and His presence as much as that thirst-quenching drink of water when thirsty!  Difficulties of life can capture our focus and get our attention away from the One who has the solution.  The Psalmist gives encouragement to place our hope in God during difficult times.  Always remember He has neither forgotten us nor forsaken us.  Give Him praise and know your hope is not in vain!

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Psalm 37:7-9, Rest in the Lord; and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret – it only causes harm.  For evil doers will be cut off; but those who wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. 

Waiting is not easy for most people.  Most of us would rather jump into a situation, trying to achieve a desired result as quickly as possible.  There are those who prosper through their scheming; that may be successful for a time but judgment will come.  Patiently waiting on God’s timing is difficult but the best action for Christians to take.  Moving ahead of God’s timetable does not bring the results that God has in mind.  Moving forward in jealousy, anger, worry and retaliation takes a toll on our lives.  Often this results in placing our trust in man rather than God.

The Psalm does explain what is in store for the righteous and those who prosper by doing evil.  What are you, as a Believer, to do when you see evil doers prosper?  It seems clear from the verses above; you don’t worry about it.  Instead you wait on the Lord and trust in what he does in your life daily.  That does not mean that you become complacent or lazy in what you do.  Rather we stay obedient to His Word.  Charles Swindoll wrote, “Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you react to it.”  David wrote this Psalm because he knew what it was like to be treated badly by evil people and to watch them be successful.  His reaction to this was written in the Psalm.  “Do not Fret.”  “Trust in the Lord and do good.”  “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”    Those who do so will inherit the earth. 

Trust in Jesus during these times.  Do not worry or “fret” over the circumstances we cannot do anything about or what will happen tomorrow. Jesus asked the question when speaking the Sermon on the Mount, “Which of you by worry can add one cubit to his stature?”  Instead, focus on what you can control in order to provide godly solutions to the circumstances faced today.  Persevere in the faith while waiting for God to bring about justice and defend the righteous.  The reward for waiting will be worth it.

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Psalm 56:3-4, Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.  In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear.  What can flesh do to me?

I remember as a child listening to the house creek and wonder if someone was about to jump out get me; the feeling was magnified many times when I was home alone.  There was always the thought that the “boogyman” was going to come up from the basement and get me.  Too many people spend a great amount of their energy being afraid of something.  Fear can be real or imagined – both can be terrifying. 

David had enemies and spent much of his life fleeing and hiding from his enemies.  This Psalm begins with David asking for mercy as he flees Saul.  David has fled to the town of Nob where he picked up the sword of Goliath, and continued on to the town of Gath.  Here is the problem for David.  He had killed Goliath, cut of his head with his sword (which he is carrying) and is now in Gath, the hometown of Goliath.  George Wood says this, “Sometimes people make stupid mistakes.  Only God’s protection can protect them.  God will protect us when we blunder, but He may allow us to do stupid things while we wait (for Him to act).”  He goes on to say, “There are times when you can do absolutely nothing to change your circumstances.  Either God will come through or you are done for.”  That’s the situation David found himself in.  He prayed and said, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”  Understand that mortal man (flesh) can only do to us what God allows.  When we pray, He hears.  David had learned this and had confidence that God would not allow any man to destroy him.  Read the story in 1 Samuel 21.

That brings us to today.  Can you relate to being fearful?  There sure is a lot of uncertainty around us today.  Is it real?  Is it imagined?  Perhaps there is an element of both.  What is going to happen in November when the elections occur?  What is going on with all these groups taking over cities?  What about all the rioting, murders, and you name it?  There are those who want to completely destroy Christianity and Christians.  What if the dollar becomes worthless?  What if?  What If?  What if?  My brothers and sisters it is time to decide who you have placed your trust in!  What are you going to do when you become afraid? 

My answer to all of this is to do my best to trust in the Lord and not fear what might happen.  I do not want to live in fear!  I am able to trust in the Lord because I know he controls the future; He sits on the throne in control of all things.  That is good enough for me.

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Matthew 13:51-52, Jesus said to them, “Have you understood these things?  They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”  Then He said to them, “Therefore, every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”

The parables about the kingdom of heaven have been to encourage all who read them to grow in their knowledge of where all Believers are headed.  There is a key word in these parables – like.  The kingdom of heaven is like….  The parable takes something that is understood in the form of a simple story to help explain something that is not understood such as a truth about heaven.  Jesus was trying to make clear to His listeners what His kingdom was like. 

When He was done speaking these parables, Jesus asked the listeners if they understood.  I wonder if they had really understood all He had said?  They no doubt understood more than the crowds.  But I wonder if they still had many questions.  Jesus used parables to disguise the truth to the spiritually proud; they were not interested in spiritual truth anyway.  The parables were never meant for entertainment but for conveying important spiritual truth. 

So, Jesus asked if His disciples understood what He was teaching because they needed to understand the new things He was teaching in light of the Old Testament Scriptures (“kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”).

Do you have a better understanding of the Kingdom of heaven from reading these parables? “The parables of the kingdom of heaven describe both the results of preaching the gospel and the spiritual conditions that will prevail on earth within the visible manifestation of the kingdom of heaven (the Church) until the end of the age. Jesus teaches that there will be good and evil in His visible Kingdom throughout the entire age.  Among those who profess His name, there will be compromise and worldliness that lead to apostacy (a falling away), as well as faithfulness and godliness that lead to eternal life.  At the end of the age the wicked (the tares) will be destroyed.” (from the commentary in the Life in the Spirit Study Bible). 

Jesus speaks these parables to alert His true disciples that they are to expect evil to infiltrate his Church; He stresses that among His people there will be many who are not truly following Him or His Word.  He teaches His true disciples how to overcome the evil influence of Satan by wholehearted devotion to Himself and live committed lives to righteousness.  He teaches that the kingdom of heaven is a valuable treasure that one who finds it will be willing to give all he has in order to possess it.  He teaches that a day is coming when the kingdom of heaven will be recognized for its greatness and where His people will find true rest and security. 

I look around at what is going on in the world and in this country and I say “Even so, come, lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).

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Mark 4:3, “Listen!  Behold a sower went out to sow.

Mark 4:13, And he said to them, “Do you not understand the parable?

The parable of the sower is a very familiar portion of Scripture.  I am sure you have heard at least one of many sermons preached on this parable.  Jesus wanted His disciples to know that His words would be received in different ways by the world.  This parable is about a sower (Jesus) sowing seeds (the Gospel) in four different types of soil.  Remember the blog page about the need for trees to grow in good soil, rich in nutrients necessary for its development and production of good fruit. 

Jesus needed to explain the parable to His hearers.  Some hearers are so hardened in their heart that the Word of God makes no impression in them before it is taken away by the birds of the air.  I have watched birds eat grass seed after I threw it onto bare patches of ground in our yard; it never had a chance to grow. (I am sure there is a lesson there about preparing the soil before sowing the seed.)  Think back before you were saved.  What was your impression regarding anything biblical that you heard or saw? 

Perhaps you remember when you became more receptive to hearing a message at church; when you thought that maybe you should be more responsive to it.  But that commitment disappeared when you got on the job or met some sort of resistance to it.  Superficial believers are quite common in the world today. 

A third type of soil has been talked around in several other parables this week.  In a better soil some growth occurs.  The problem we have seen before is the enemy sneaks in and sows tares; in this parable the growth occurs with thorns.  There are signs of growth with the sowing of seed in this soil, but worldly concerns and distraction choke the Word before any fruit is shown. 

In only one of the soils does the seed grow and produce fruit.  Fruit is produced despite the worldly influences and difficulties of life. This is a sad commentary as the Word produces fruit in only one of 4 types of soil.

So what is to be learned by this parable and how does it pertain to the Kingdom of God?  Jesus explained that there are various receptions to God’s Word.  Yet only one bears the fruit of the Gospel.  The devil is busy trying to keep the Gospel from being effective and changing people’s lives.  People often hear the word but do not understand; others believe it to be true but do not get it down into their hearts to allow it to change them and later fall away.   There are others who believe it, are saved, persevere, and bear fruit by various ways.  Matthew Henry’s Commentary gives us great insight concerning this, “No good fruit is to be expected but from good seed.  If the seed be thrown on good ground, if the heart be humble, and holy, and heavenly, there will be good fruit, and it will abound sometimes even to a hundred fold.”

Mark includes another parable about the seed that is sown.  In Mark 4:26-29, the seed is sown in good soil.  Look at the power of the seed to grow.  Verse 28 tells us that the earth or soil yields a crop – first the blade appears, then the head, and then the full grain in the head.  The fruit produced takes time; it is a slow process that God does in the life of the Believer.  The grace of God begins with a small seed which, under His care and nurture, produces a great crop.

The Kingdom of God grows by those who have allowed God’s Word to produce fruit through them.  The individual “who hears the Word, accepts it, and bears fruit – some thirtyfold, some sixty, and other a hundred” (Mark 4:20).

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Matthew 13:44, “Again the kingdom of God is treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buts the field.”

Matthew 13:45-46, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who when he found one pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.”

Where do you keep your “treasure”?  If you have a safe in your home, you might put valuables such as jewelry or money or any items of value in it.  Most people keep money in the bank in order to spend as needed.  Perhaps you have a lock box at the bank to keep valuable items in.  In ancient Israel the people did not have banks; the safest place to keep valuables was to bury them in the ground.  You can understand the problem that came up when someone found the treasure of another person.  Legally the treasure belonged to the owner of the property.  But, the finder of the “treasure” could buy the property, then, everything in it would belong to the finder (David Jeremiah Study Bible). 

In the parable of the hidden treasure, we do not know who the finder of the treasure was or his relationship to the owner.  All we know is the great joy he had over finding it.  Imagine for a moment what you would experience over winning the lottery (Just for the sake of what I am trying to get you to understand!).   I am sure you would think about all you were going to do with your winning.  Perhaps, you would not tell anyone for a while so you would not be bothered by anyone.  The finder of the treasure buried it again so no one would find it.  Then he sells everything he has in order to buy the field and become the owner of the treasure.

In the parable of the hidden treasure the finder is a poor man who finds a treasure that will make him rich for life.  In the parable about the pearl, the merchant is a wealthy man finds a valuable pearl to be bought.  During this time a find such as this must have been very rare because the merchant leaves to sell all he has in order to return and buy this wonderful pearl.

The two parables teach two truths.  The parable of the hidden treasure teaches that the Kingdom of God is a priceless treasure; when we give up all we own to obtain it we get in return something enormously greater.  The Kingdom is a priceless treasure that is to be desired above all else.

The second truth is similar.  When you find a pearl of great price it is worth selling or giving up everything that would prevent you from obtaining it.  Selling all means that we must transfer our whole heart from other interests to what is most important. 

The pearl of great price and the treasure is Jesus Christ and His Kingdom.  He is worth giving up all we have to obtain the salvation that He offers through the cross and His resurrection.  When you find Him, nothing will be spared to make Him your own.

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Luke 13:18-19, Then He said, “What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.”

Luke 13:20-21, And again He said, “To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

Two parables describe the growth of the Kingdom of God.  The parable of the mustard seed describes its growth from very small beginnings into something massive.  The parable of the leaven describes the growth of this kingdom as inevitable.  It is important to notice that the growth in each parable is not sudden but occurs over time.

The mustard seed was the smallest seed planted by farmers in Palestine in Jesus’s day but it grew to be the biggest of all the plants that grew from seeds. The point of the parable is the power implied in the Kingdom of God is to grow from very small and humble beginnings into a large following of Believers seen today.  This is true of the parable of the leaven.  The small amount of leaven was able to penetrate the dough in order to feed a large number of people.  Leaven in scripture usually refers to evil influences; here it points to the power of the Kingdom of God to influence people.  Jesus began with only the disciples as followers; these men were committed to spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ and it had spread throughout the known world by the end of the first century. 

The growth of the kingdom of God has always been opposed.  As it has grown, Satan has opposed it.  He has opposed both the Church and individual Believers.  Individual Believers have had to fight against evil, defend their beliefs and had to be willing to suffer to the point of death for following Christ.  Today is no different; we are in a battle against evil in this country.  Our history is being radically changed in order for a new belief system to be put into place.   Our belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ is being attacked in order to destroy the foundations of this country in order for a new belief system to be put into place.  It is up to individual Christians to be praying in order to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, be in God’s Word to grow in the knowledge of God, to be looking for the return of Jesus Christ for all Believers and, perhaps suffer for the cause of Christ.

Whatever today brings, it is important for Believers to stand. Nothing can stop the growth of the Kingdom of God!  It has grown into the mighty tree Jesus told his disciples would happen.  The dough has been leavened.  The secret of our victory is keeping our eyes on Jesus!

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Matthew 13:24-24, Another parable He put forth to them saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.”

Matthew 13:30, Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Psalm 15 answered the question of who could stay on God’s holy mountain.  To go along with that I thought we might examine what the Lord Jesus said about the kingdom of heaven.

“In Jesus’ day after a field had been sown with wheat, a mischief-maker might sneak into the field and sow darnel (tares) over the original crop.  Darnel looks almost identical to wheat, but it has no market. Only value at harvest time, when crop was fully grown, could the farmer distinguish the true wheat from the worthless darnel.” (David Jeremiah Study Bible). The parable of the wheat and the tares emphasizes that Satan will sow his seeds in the same places as those who sow the Word of God.  The field is the world and the “good seed” represent the true children of the God’s kingdom. 

There are several interesting points in this parable.  The gospel and true believers will be planted throughout the world.  Satan will also plant his followers, “the sons of the wicked one” (verse 38) among the people of God to try to counteract the truth.  Satan is able to sow his seeds because “men slept”.  Christians must be on guard for Satan looks for any and every opportunity to take advantage of opportunities to spread corruption and misinterpretation of God’s Word.  His lies would be an attempt to get you to believe that sin is okay; the lie has not changed since the Garden of Eden!  The main direction of his agents within the visible kingdom of God is to undermine the authority of God’s Word, promote false doctrine, and to promote unrighteousness.  Consider the confusion in today’s churches over right and wrong teaching from professed Christians who are really false teachers.  Do not be confused!  Look to God’s Word as your final authority concerning the issues of today; be careful who you listen to!

Jesus told His disciples to allow the true followers and those masquerading as believers to grow together.  I think I believe as the disciples must have.  I can just hear them wanting to go in and cut down or uproot the tares.  But, read the entire parable and see that the tares could not be distinguished from the wheat.  The owner of the field (Jesus) wisely knew that wheat would be destroyed with the tares.  Wait until the harvest when the difference between the two would be obvious he said. 

You and I cannot know the true heart of another – whether another has truly given their heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can, however, judge their fruit or what their lifestyle is.  Listen to what a person says and watch what he or she does.  Does it match what is professed?  Our responsibility is to live the life Jesus Christ offers, to be light to those who do not know Him as their Savior.  In order to not be fooled by the “tare” we must know God’s Word and do our best to live according to what it says.

There is a harvest coming!  Go back and read Matthew 13:30 above.  The angels are going to separate the wheat from the tares.  The wheat is going to be put into the barn (heaven); the tares are going to be bundled and burned.  Do not sleep.  Do not become complacent in your walk with the Lord.  Have a hunger and thirst for righteousness each day.  I pray for this each day for every member of my family.  It is my prayer for each of you that take the time to read this blog.

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Psalm 15:1-5, Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?  Who may dwell in your holy hill?  He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart, he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend: in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he swears to his own hurt and does not change; He who does not put up money as usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.   He who does these things shall never be moved.

Do you think you could pass the test to become a citizen of the United States?  It might seem to be a simple task because you have lived here all your life.  However a closer look at this exam shows you would need to know a lot about the Constitution and history of the United States.  As you have seen in today’s news both are under great attack by the extremists of the country.  There are responsibilities to being a citizen of this country – voting and following the laws of the land would be a part of being a good citizen. 

David asked the question about the requirements for abiding in God’s sanctuary and dwelling on God’s holy hill.  Tabernacle and holy hill are interchangeable terms for the dwelling place of God and are descriptive terms for intimate fellowship with Him.  To abide means a temporary condition and to dwell would be a permanent position.  The Lord answers with requirements that no human being could fulfill; the only One that could live up to these qualifications is Jesus Christ.  So, God sent His Son to be our substitute, to take our place.  Each of us needs to place our faith in trust in what He did on the cross as our substitute.  Then we must live our lives with heaven in mind.  Citizenship in heaven begins while we live on earth.  The last verse of the Psalm states ”He who does these things shall never be moved.”  In other words “they will be stable, solid, God-honoring citizens in this world who have nothing to fear” (David Jeremiah Study Bible).

What are the requirements?  “To walk uprightly” or to be blameless, to live right according to God’s Word.  It can be interpreted as integrity.  “To practice righteousness” is a fundamental of Old Testament morality and shows one to be right with God and people.  “Does not backbite with his tongue” is slander.  In other words control what you say.  Don’t lie, or gossip or run down people behind their back.  Tell the truth to show you are trustworthy.  “Choose friends wisely” because a vile person cannot be trusted and is not interested in spiritual things.  “Swears to his own hurt” is to keep your word and the obligations you make.  “Who does not put up his money as usury” is to charge unfair interest on a loan.  “Does not take bribes” means just that.  That is quite a list of things that are required; I am thankful every day that the Lord Jesus Christ took my place so I can be a citizen of His Kingdom!

I fail every day due to my thoughts, the careless words I speak, and my failure to live up to God’s Word.  I fail at living up to the above requirements.  Because I fail, 1 John 1:7-9 has become very important to me.  I apply it every day to my life and ask you to consider doing the same.  “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Thank You Lord Jesus.  All my praise is Yours!

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Psalm10:1-4, Why do you stand afar off, O Lord?  Why do you hide in times of trouble?  The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor; let them be caught in the plots they have devised.  For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire; he blesses greedy and renounces the Lord.  The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.

You played Hide and Seek when you were young, right?  I played it as a child, played it with my daughters, and played it with my grandkids.  With my girls and grandkids, I changed the rules of the game; when I am found, I chase them.  Everyone ran away screaming, with me not far behind – screaming!  We could only play this game when it was just us.  Oh, it was great fun!  But on some days I hid so no one could find me – the game was not as much fun then. 

George O Wood in his book, A Psalm in Your Heart has great thoughts on this Psalm.  He explains that King David is at a point in his life when he has lost his sense of God’s protection.  David asks “Why do you stand far off, Lord?”  David is expressing how difficult this time is for him because God does not seem to be helping him (perhaps not doing what he wants Him to do in the way he wants).  Wood believes that expressing one’s hurt is healthy.  By expressing himself in this way, David began to allow his faith and trust in the Lord to comfort him in the difficult times he faced.

There is another aspect of the verses above.  The writer of the Psalm is grieving over the arrogant attitude of wicked people and their apparent success.  How often do Christians today look at the worldly success of non-Christians?  How often do Christians look at others who gain in unethical ways, look at the injustices going on, and at evil that seemingly is running rampant and wonder why God seems to appear to be standing “afar off”?  Those who are doing these things today appear to be led by evil; they do not seek God.  He is not in their thoughts or they would not be doing what they are.  Sin and cruelty will not be crushed nor righteousness fully reign until Christ returns to destroy all evil.  Until that time, Christians must believe and find comfort in knowing that God has heard their prayers and will give them strength to endure until He comes.

I sometimes wonder where God is, that He does not hear my prayers.  When those days occur, it seems like the wicked are just waiting to jump out from their hiding place to chase, to destroy, and to kill.  But as a Believer in Jesus Christ, I remember that He is in complete control of all things, in every situation.  He is never far off and He will never allow us to be chased or tempted without watching over us.

The Psalm ends with “The Lord is King forever and ever”.  It is a word of confidence that each of  us can grasp and hang on to.  It is a promise to us that He knows and understands every Believer’s situation.  We need this today!

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Psalm1:1-3, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night; he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth its fruit in its season., whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.           

 A few years ago we had to replace our driveway.  We also had some concrete removed at the back of the house.  To replace the concrete in back, we had the company bring dirt we could wheelbarrow to the back; my grandkids and I worked hard doing that.  The dirt brought was brown dirt which was not very good for growing anything.  It got hard and was unproductive.  I ended up trying to remove as much as I could.

There is something else to contrast in Psalm 1.  Two types of soil are assumed here; there is good and bad soil. Dr. Glen Schultz wrote in his blog about growing healthy trees.  I would like to paraphrase what he wrote since he provided great insight into the soil trees are planted in.

It takes good soil to grow healthy trees.  Soil must have the proper nutrients in order for tress to grow and be healthy.  Sometimes that soil needs to be prepared in order for the trees to grow.

This Psalm is not about trees – the tree represents people and the soil is about the environment they put themselves in.  Dr. Schultz often discusses worldviews.  In this blog he discusses the soil as being one’s worldview.  He states that the soil of a secular worldview is man-centered and filled with lies.  He believes this soil lacks the nutrients to “grow healthy trees.  The only worldview that has rich nutrients to grow healthy trees is a biblical worldview where the worldview is God-centered and based on the truth of the Bible.

It is not enough to know that a secular worldview is filled with lies – they must be identified.  Here are a few of the lies he has identified in this worldview.  Man’s happiness is the most important goal in life.  The government is to provide for all its citizen’s needs.  Gender is a personal choice.  Tolerance is the ultimate value humans are to exhibit.  I cannot be fulfilled unless I have ______ (you fill in the blank).  These are only a few examples of the lies being taught by the secular worldview.  After identifying the lies, you need to understand how they impact your life.  Why is this important?  It isimportant because your actions always follow your beliefs.

Here is the bottom line for Dr. Schultz, “The consequences we are facing in this country and others are facing around the world are not the result of merely bad behavior or forming faulty values.  We must understand that for the past 50+ years generation after generation have been planted in bad soil.  In turn they have developed a secular worldview by absorbing the many lies that are the basis of a secular worldview.”  So here is what he is saying.  Fruit (consequences) is being produced that is not good fruit because the tree is planted in bad soil.  In other words, fruit (consequences) is the result of the behaviors being practiced; this is too often the focus of correction.  Instead, the soil (where the problem originates) must be changed.

The soil is changed by changing the worldview one has.  Secular worldview based on lies and deceit of man’s word or a biblical worldview based on the truth of God’s Word?  I have said so many times that the Bible is truth.  It sets one free from all the lies and deceit that is in the world.  Are you as tired as I am of the lies of the world?  Who do you believe - Democrats, Republicans, conservatives, liberals, socialists, or aliens from other planets?  Who do you trust?

“Even so every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefor by their fruits you will know them.”  Jesus

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Psalm1:1-3, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night; he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bring forth its fruit in its season., whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.           

Shortly after moving into our present house, the wind blew over a tree in our yard.  We decided that the tree was healthy but did not have its root deep enough in the soil to withstand the wind when it came.  The image presented in this psalm is that of a healthy tree that has roots deep in the soil in order to get nourishment from the water found there. 

There are two types of people in this Psalm – the blessed and the ungodly.  Blessed means “happy” or “inward joy”.  There may be a strong exclamation of emotion that results from thinking about a subject; here it would be meditating on God’s Word.  The other type of person considered is the one that would encourage another person to live without being concerned for living in obedience to God.

This Psalm states that a person is able to walk securely with the Lord by delighting in His Word.  By meditating continually, thinking about what the Word tells us, we will not be as those who do according to the ways of the world.  The Jeremiah Study Bible suggests, “The image of this Psalm is a tree watered by the constant supply of water from the river.  The suggestion is of strength, stability, and endurance.   Suppliers of grace, drawn from the Word of God are what sustain God’s people.  They put down roots in Scripture and draw strength from it for their lives.”  The results are shown in the fruit that is produced in God’s work. 

George O Wood wrote in A Psalm in Your Heart that there are two choices for each of us: to follow God and His will or to “stand in the path of sinners”.  By choosing the second way a person has chosen to sit with scoffers and make fun of those whose desire to seek God and follow Him.  Choosing to walk with the ungodly is to “be like the chaff which the wind drives away”; but choosing to delight in God’s Word brings “prosperity in whatever you do”.  There really is no choice in my opinion.

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Psalm 103:14, For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.

I bet you are wondering where in the world I am going with this verse today.  I am pretty tired of all the rotten news I hear or read about every day.  Our Father in heaven knows what is happening here; there is no surprise to Him at all.  As the above verse states, He knows who we are and what we go through every day.  So, He gave us the book of Psalms to help us get through the day to day “stuff” - to help lift our spirits.  The book of Psalms is about God!  It is about His Kingdom, His glory, His worthiness, and His standards.  The Psalms were sung in worship and directed to Him; they were sung both by individuals and in corporate worship.   They contain songs of joy as well as periods of misery and despair.    Throughout, the reader is invited to come to the throne of grace in their time of need.

I once heard that if I read Psalm 1 on the first day of the month add 30 (Psalm31), add 30 (Psalm 61) add 30 (Psalm 91) and add 30 again (Psalm 121) I could read through the entire book of Psalms in a month.  I do that from time to time and it does work.  I also read the corresponding Proverb to the day as well to read through the book of Proverbs during the same month.  It does get my focus on the One it needs to be on.  I try to take notes as I read to just keep centered on what I sense the reading is saying to me. 

Over the years I have spent a lot of time reading the Psalms.  I have found that when I cannot find the right words to explain what I am dealing with – the difficulties, fears, even the times of happiness – the Psalms provide help.  Often, I have understood David’s deep need for God’s forgiveness or the tremendous joy he expressed over God’s forgiveness and the joy of His presence.

I encourage you to join me as I share a few thought from the Psalms over the next few days.  I will try to encourage you and lift your spirits from all the negativity seen in today’s news.  I would encourage you to read through the Psalms with me.  Today, the Psalms to be read include Psalm 13, 43, 73, 103 and 133.  Don’t forget to read Proverbs 13 as well.  Take your time.  Don’t read just to get them read.  Instead read them as worship, to get closer to the One who has all things in the palm of His hand.  You will bless Him as well as yourself.

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Romans 1 Let every soul be subject to the government authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Paul was a great apostle of Jesus Christ.  He wrote most of the New Testament as led by divine inspiration.  But I have to admit that this verse has made me stop and wonder what he was thinking on more than one reading.  Did any questions come to your mind while reading this?  The same ones I have asked came flooding back to me this week when planning the pages of this blog.

First let me give what I believe we need to take from this verse.  God commands Christians to obey the government where they live as an institution ordained and established by Him.  Government was instituted because in a fallen world we need restraints to protect us from chaos and lawlessness that is a natural result of sin.  God has ordained the government to be His agent for justice, to restrain evil by punishing those who do wrong, and to protect the good in society (verses 3-4).  Understand that Paul is describing government as it should be!  When the government abandons its proper role, it no longer operates as God intended, according to His purpose.  Then we have a problem(s)! 

Here come the questions. What happens when government requires action that is contrary to the Word of God?  Answer: Christians must obey God rather than other humans.  This has not been a problem in this country – so far.  However, events are happening right now that may cause you and me to have to decide who and what we are going to follow.  There is so much anti-God teaching in schools - and even from church pulpits today - that is an indoctrination of evil.  Take a moment to think about that. 

If God appoints authorities, as this verse says, why do leaders promote ungodly agendas?  Why were there so many ungodly leaders in Israel?  I wish you had not asked that question.  Answer: It seems to me that God places those in authority who will best serve His ultimate plan.  That might mean placing one in leadership who will move the people in the direction God desires, even if it means persecution of His people (we need to be shaken to get us out of our complacent, self-satisfied way of thinking!).  That could move people to a closer relationship to Him due to prayer and right living or it could harden one’s heart.  Remember 9-11?  For a short time, churches were filled.  God can certainly use bad leaders to serve His purpose.

What happens when the government does not fulfill its responsibility?  Answer: Look at what is happening in this country right now.  Defund the police!  Are these people crazy?  Remember God’s plan for government was to eliminate chaos and protect the people.  What we are seeing is certainly a separation from that!  Mob rule, riots and looting, what’s yours is mine type of thinking.  People calling the police to have them come force a store owner to give up their merchandise because the store owner can collect insurance.  Chaos in the streets.  It is going to get worse and not better.

Take a good look at what is happening.  What you are seeing is a glimpse of what life will be like on this earth after the Christians are removed (the Rapture).  Right now, the only thing preventing chaos to reign is the Holy Spirit’s restraint and the prayers of Christians.  All will change once they are removed.  Then, the man of sin, the man of lawlessness, the Antichrist will come with his plan of peace and all will bow to him.

What do you do?  Answer: God is the ultimate ruler over all earthly rulers.  He sets up kings and removes kings according to His will (Daniel 2:21).  You are to be obedient to the rule of law as long as it does not violate God’s laws.  You are to pray for your leaders and those in authority over you.  Pray for the coming election and be sure to do your duty and vote.  This is certainly a day that you and I need to know God’s Word and live as He desires us to live!

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