LEARNING DAILY

 

Psalm 144:3-4, Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of Him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.

 

The heading in the DJSB for Psalm 144 is A Song to the Lord who Preserves and Prospers His People. In the LSSB the heading is The Warrior’s Psalm. I am not sure if that makes any difference to the what David is writing in this Psalm; either way David is highlighting the ways God has protected him. He has experienced God’s protection and acknowledges His need and dependence on God each day. That is great teaching for each of us as we walk on the narrow way to eternal life in His kingdom.

 

Go back to verse 1 of the Psalm and begin reading how David describes the Lord. Read the descriptions – my Rock, my lovingkindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and the One in whom I take refuge. David has learned to trust God in battle and in any crisis that he faced. Psalm 145:2 seems appropriate here, “Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever.” Praise must come when we come to trust God for His goodness and for watching over us as we face the battles of life that come our way. No day should go by without praising and thanking God for His blessings and gifts to us. Why don’t you stop reading and take a few minutes to give Him your praise and thanksgiving for what he has done and given you!

 

Man has certainly messed up since creation. God made us to fellowship with him, to walk in obedience, to be his people and for Him to be our God. But mankind messed up, often, over and over. Man messed up so badly that God regretted that He created them. But He forgave and life was good until mankind messed up again. If you are honest, you have to agree with me that this cycle is the story of your walk as it is with my walk with the Lord. There have been times I have been disappointed, perhaps even angry that God did not answer my sincere prayers for something very important to me in the way I wanted. It is easy to look back and be thankful He said no.

 

I have learned to be extremely thankful that God never gave upon me and just let me go on a different way – the broad way that leads to destruction. I have even at times asked God the same question David did in this Psalm, “Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of Him [me]?” Why does God even bother with us and just let us go our own selfish, self-centered way? Why does He even care?

 

He does care! He sent His Son Jesus to save us, to forgive our sins, and to change us, making us fit to live for ever in His kingdom. For those of us who have chosen to accept this precious gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, it is our responsibility to live the best life we can, asking for His forgiveness when we sin, and to live our life to the fullest, not for ourselves but for Him. The greatest blessing we can have is to know that God cares for us – no, He loves us – and calls us His children!

 

Psalm 144:15 summarizes the thought for today, “Happy [blessed] are the people who are in such a state’ happy [blessed] are the people whose God is the Lord!”

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.