The Face of God

A Second Look at the Psalms,      The Face of God.

Psalm 32:8 KJV
I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go:
I will guide thee with mine eye.

When we look into a person's face, their countenance is expressive of feeling and character.
The face of a clock reveals the time.
The expression of the face and eyes can be more instructive than a hand book.
But, to look into someone's face you have to come face to face with them.
To meet or encounter someone, to face them one to one, and look into their face,
is so much more than being in the same building or the same room.
"face to face" is even more than "presence"

2nd Chronicles  7:14  NKJV
14   If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves
and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways,
then I will hear them from heaven, and forgive their sin
and heal their land.

There we have it; In seeking revival we are to humble ourselves and seek his face.

Psalm 27:8 RSV
Thou hast said, " Seek ye my face,"
    My heart says to thee,
"Thy face, LORD, do I seek."

Psalm 42 RSV
1  As a deer longs for flowing streams
    so longs my soul for you , O God.
2  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When shall I come and behold the face of God ?

Psalm 105:4 RSV                                            1 Chronicles 16:11
   Seek the LORD and his strength                Look to the Lord and his strength
   seek his presence continually.                      Seek his face always.

Psalm 95:2 NRSV
  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
  Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise !

1 Kings 13:6
  Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God
       and pray for me.

Lamentations 2:19 NRSV
   Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord.
   Lift your hands to him for the lives of your children.

Psalm 119:58
   I have sought your face with all my heart;
   be gracious to me according to your promise.

2 Corinthians 4:6  NRSV
For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"
who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.







          A Second Look At The Psalms.......    The Face of God

If someone is going to guide you with their eyes
you have to look into their face.

Those of us who love the Lord our God,
who are moved to seek His face,
will come to see the Glory of God
shining in the face of Jesus.

             JESUS CHRIST
                        is
          GOD INCARNATE
               and the only
                SAVIOUR
               of  mankind

We are looking to the LORD, seeking His face,
looking to His strength when we pray,
seeking His strength for the people for whom we pray.

1st Kings 13:6
Entreat now the face of the LORD and pray for me.

This is intercession to which we are called.
The place of such prayer is the face of God.
In what company do we find ourselves
when we seek the face of God ?

Psalm 24 verses 4-6 New Revised Standard Version

4,Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5, They will receive blessing from the LORD,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6, Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Psalm 11:7 NIV
For the LORD is righteous,  he loves justice,
upright men will see his face.

Psalm 31:16 NIV
Let your face shine on your servant
save me in your unfailing love.

Psalm 119:135 NIV
Make your face shine upon your servant
and teach me your decrees.

Psalm 4:6 NIV
.....Let the light of your face
          shine upon us, O LORD.

Psalm 67:1 NIV
May God be gracious to us and bless us,
          and make his face to shine upon us.

Psalm 80:19 NIV
Restore us , O Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine upon us that we may be saved.

 We pour out our heart before the presence of the Lord
and lift our hands to him, and entreat the face of the Lord our God.
When we ask God to forgive our sin and heal our land,
we pray as the angels in heaven who always see the face of our Father in Heaven.
How often have we prayed in the company of angels ?
    

369 A Hiding Place

THOMPSON CHAIN REFERENCE STUDY BIBLE
Topic number 369 is  " A Hiding Place" and relates to  ;-
 divine overshadowing , divine refuge, and
a place of divine protection.

Psalm 17:8  New Catholic Version 2001
Guard me as the apple of your eye
hide me in the shadow of your wings.
and from the SAAS Orthodox Study Bible 2008
Keep me as the apple of Your eye
In the shelter of Your wings, You will shelter me
from the face of the ungodly who trouble me.

Psalm 27:5 N.C.V.
For he will hide me in his shelter in times of trouble.
He will conceal me under the cover of his tent.
from the A.V. .
....in the secret of his tabernacle he shall hide me.

Psalm 31:21 N.C.V.
You hide them in the safety of your presence
    from those who conspire against them.
You keep them safe in your shelter
    far from contentious tongues.

Psalm 32:7 N.C.V.
You are a place of refuge for me
     you preserve me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
and from the A.V.
Thou art my hiding place:
thou shalt preserve me from trouble..

Here is a prayer from the English Standard Version Study Bible 2008,
Psalm 36:7
How precious is your steadfast love, O God !
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 46:1 N.C.V.
God is our refuge and our strength
a well-proved help in times of trouble
From the A.V....a very present help in trouble.

In times of trouble, when we feel the need of God's protection,
we experience His presence. He is very close to us.

Psalm 57:2 N.C.V.
Have mercy on me, O God,   have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will seek shelter in the shadow of your wings
until the time of danger has passed.

Psalm 63:7-9  N.C.V.
7   I think of you while I lie on my bed
     and I meditate on you during the watches of the night
8   For you are my help,
     and in the shadow of your wings I rejoice
9   My soul clings tightly to you
     Your right hand holds me fast.



369  A Hiding Place   continued



Psalm 64:11  N.C.V.
The righteous will rejoice in the LORD
        and take refuge in him;

People who are faithful to His covenant....behave in this way !
Where else would New Covenant people want to dwell  ?

Psalm 91:1-4    S.A.A.S.Orthodox Study Bible
1     He who dwells in the help of the Most High
       Shall lodge in the shelter of the God of heaven.
2     He shall say to the Lord,
                                  "You are my protector and my refuge
        My God; I will hope in Him.
3     For He shall free me from the snare of the hunters,
       and from every troubling word"
4     He shall overshadow you with His shoulders
       And under His wings you shall hope;
       His truth shall encircle you with a shield.

                                    xxx
9    For You, O Lord, are my hope;
      You made the Most High your refuge.
                                    xxx

In verse 9  the voice of David seems to address our Lord

Psalm 119 :114  A.V.
Thou art my hiding place and my shield,
      I hope in thy Word

Psalm 143:9 NCV
Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD
             for in you I seek refuge.

Colossians 3:2-3 
2     Set your minds on things that are above
       not on things on the earth.
3     For you have died,
       and your life is hidden with Christ in God

HABAKKUK  3:4  from the Amplified Bible
       His Glory covered the heavens
       and the earth was full of His praise.
4     And His brightness was like the sunlight
       rays streamed from His hand, and there
       (in the sunlike splendor)
      was the hiding place of His power.

To take refuge in the shadow of his wings
is to put ourselves in a place of divine overshadowing
where there is great power,

Psalm 68:2 ESV
.........as wax melts before fire
       so shall the wicked perish before God

Psalm 46:6 ESV
........he utters his voice, the earth melts.

Psalm 97:5 ESV
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD
        before the Lord of all the earth.

PSALM 25 friendship > fellowship

Psalm 25:14                            New American Bible 1970

The friendship of the LORD is with those who fear him,

    and his covenant, for their instruction.

Psalm 25:14                          New Living Translation 1996

Friendship with the LORD

is reserved for those who fear him.

With them he shares the secrets of his covenant.

Psalm 25:14             New Living Translation 2004 edition

The LORD is a friend to those who fear him.

He teaches them his covenant.

David, the psalmist prays;-                               (RSV 2nd CE)

v16   Turn to me and be gracious to me for I am lonely and afflicted

 v17  Relieve the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of distress
.
v18  Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.

Those who have a profound respect for the Lord Our God

are involved in a personal relationship with our Lord 

whose friendship, fellowship, counsel, revelation ,and 

one to one instruction are part of the experience of Charismatic Christians.

The New American Standard Bible , updated 1995

offers three renderings of Psalm 25:14;-

a     The secret of the LORD is for those who fear him:

b     the counsel of the LORD is for those who fear him:

c     the intimacy of the Lord is for those who fear him:

From Psalm 25 RSV 2nd Catholic edition 2006

v8   .......he instructs the sinners in their way

v9   .......he leads the humble in what is right

              and teaches the humble  his way
v12        Who is the man who fears the LORD 
              Him he will instruct in the way that he should choose.

v14        the friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him

              and he makes known to them his covenant.

In friendship and fellowship the Lord instructs, leads, teaches, and makes known.
This is what the psalmist prays for in psalm 25 .

v4          make me know your ways....teach me your paths
v5          lead me in your truth and teach me
v11        pardon my guilt
v18        forgive my sins.

In psalm 25 we have an icon, a doorway, which opens
onto the empowering love of the Trinity.
We can, if we listen in the enabling power of the Spirit,
hear Jesus in the voice of David.
It is the same Spirit who enables us to receive the
one to one teaching, leading and  revelation of our Heavenly Father.
The NAB translation of  Psalm 25 verse14 indicates that we should 
have awe and respect (fear) for the covenant.
We give more than lipservice to the decalogue,
Out heart's attitude and desire is to walk in His way.
From STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE
H5475  ;-   intimacy,   consultation,   a secret,  counsel, or secret counsel.

PSALM 17 Community of Unfailing Love

In Psalm 17 ,  the psalmist has a lot to share with us.
He shares his commitment and enthusiasm ;-
"  I have resolved  "  "I determined"   he says,
" I have treasured the words of your lips "
" walking deliberately in Your footsteps ".
The psalmist shares with us where he puts all his focus, and all his loyalty.
He shares with us that he is totally relying on God
and that he is putting all his eggs in one basket.
The psalmist is honest with us, with himself,
and with God ;-  his prayer is from
"lips free from deceit".
"My mouth will not trespass"
"by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths".
This psalm is a cry  to the God in whom David is putting his whole trust.
"Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry"
The psalmist shares his faith, and all who join in his song share his hope.
"I call on You , O God, for You will answer me"
"You who save by your right hand
those who take refuge in You."
As the psalmist expresses his trust in God
so we put our trust in the God of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob
and sing with all the people of God
"hide me in the shadow of your wings"
We are together in faith and hope
and in practice we are people who put our trust
in the Lord our God.   We stand in His unfailing love
 and walk in his wonderful ways.
We are aware of smug and pitiless people whose heart is closed
 to the word of God, as well as to the cry of the poor.
The accusers of the faithful do not know the loving kindness of our God.
But God's love is eternal.

Psalm 3:5 NJB
As for me, if I lie down and sleep
I shall awake, for Yahweh sustains me.

Psalm 5:3 NJB
To you I pray , Yahweh, at daybreak you hear my voice.
at daybreak I lay my case before you, and fix my eyes on You.

Psalm 90:14 NJB
Each morning fill us with your faithful love
we shall sing and be happy all our days.

Psalm 17:15 NJB
But I in my uprightness will see your face
and when I awake I shall be filled with the vision of You.

Psalm 130:6 NJB
My whole being hopes in the Lord
more than the watchmen for the daybreak
more than the watchmen for the daybreak

Psalm 143:8 NJB
Let dawn bring news of Your faithful love, for I put my trust in You.

PSALM 17 Preparing for the next world

Now is the time we have to prepare for eternity.
From the start, the living God is the Saviour of those who put their trust in Him.
So that is the community in which we stand in the presence of God.

From the book of COMMON PRAYER ,  Psalm 17:7
Shew thy marvelous loving kindness,
thou art the Saviour of them that put their trust in thee:
from such as resist thy right hand.

We must definitely NOT stand in the crowd who resist God's right hand.
Those of us who believe that God's will
is the most beneficial thing for everyone,
seek constantly to be in harmony with God's purposes,
socially, morally,  politically, and one in the Spirit spiritually

Psalm 17:3a
Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night season;

The psalmist has nightly meditated on the word of God !
not just in an academic way, but in a way which has allowed himself
 to respond to God's presence and prompting
during , and after, his contemplation.
These benefits leak into our everyday lives,
Just as the mercy which poured from the wounds of Christ
still swirls around us
.We seek and need the grace of God.

Psalm 17:5
O hold thou up my goings in thy paths:
that my footsteps slip not.

The power of God is the effective influence in the person of the believer
and in the circumstances in the community of hope
in which the purposes of God are being fulfilled.
We often joke that life's challenges are character building.
But our personal experience of the working out of His truth....
marching on in our society and in ourselves
is what fills our heart and mind with Trinitarian love and awareness.
Such love puts things in perspective !
It is not only that God is the source of love,
but that all his intentions and activity are loving and wise,

1 JOHN 4 : 7-13  + 17  RSV
Beloved , let us love one another; for love is of God,
and he who loves is born of God and knows God.
He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us,
that God sent his only Son into the world so that 
we might live through him. In this is love,
not that we loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also  ought to love 
one another. No man has ever seen God; 
if we love one another, God abides in us and love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because 
he has given us his own spirit.
17 In this is love perfected in us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgement,
because as he is so are we  in this world.   !!!

May trinitarian love and awareness prepare us for the next world.

PSALM 16 Our eternal journey

On a day to day basis
the congregation of the righteous
put their hope in the LORD
and in practice, trust everything
(their present and their future) to the living God.

ACTS 2:25-28 ESV
25     For David says concerning him,
         "I saw the Lord always before me,
         for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26     therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
         my flesh also will dwell in hope.
27     For you will not abandon my soul to Hades'
         or let your Holy One see corruption.
28     You have made known to me the paths of life;
         you will make me full of gladness with your presence"

So, year in, year out, (from the book of Acts until now),
 the community of hope is fulfilling the prophecy of  Psalm 16.
We can proclaim Psalm 16:8-11.

Psalm 16:8-11  NRSV
8      I keep the LORD always before me;
        because he is at my right hand,
        I shall not be moved.
9      Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
        my body also rests secure.
10    For you do not give me up to Sheol,
       or let your faithful one see the Pit
11   You show me the path of life.
       In your presence there is fullness of joy;
       in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Those who daily walk in the presence of the Lord
and put our hope and trust in Him
are in practice, fulfilling the words of prophecy
in Psalm 16.
So we are witnessing to the resurrection of Jesus !

Psalm 16:11 NCV
You will show me the path to life
you will fill me with joy in your presence
and everlasting delights at your right hand.

The NCV translation of verse 11
alludes to divine preparation for life in the next world.
    You will show me the path to life.
This grace will be experienced in joy
in the presence of the living God.
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.
This is the beginning of our eternal journey
where, at God's right hand,
there are pleasures forever.

PSALM 16 Community of Hope

How excellent are the LORD'S faithful people !
My greatest pleasure is to be with them.                
                                                Psalm 16:3 Good News Bible
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people
and he exalts the meek with salvation.
                         Psalm 149:4  New English Translation of the Septuagint.
If we love one another,
         God dwelleth in us
                    and his love is perfected in us.
                                                 1 John 4:12 King James Version.

In the communion between Christ and believers;
he delights in them and they delight in him.
As Christ delights in his saints,
so they delight in one another.
"Here"  says David  "is my greatest pleasure."

And this commandment have we from him.
That he who loveth God love his brother also.
                                                  1 John 4:21 King James Version
The Lord taketh  pleasure in them that fear him,
in those that hope in his mercy.
                                                   Psalm 147:11 King James Version
Love one another with mutual affection
                                                   Romans 12:10 NRSV

Who belongs to  the group of righteous which the psalmist describes?
A group which realizes that they  have no other resource than
The LORD our God........
the community who put their hope in our God
and will continue our song of praise.
We are one group.....
the people of God,  in the community of hope.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart,
all ye that hope in the LORD.
                                                    Psalm 31:24 King James Version.
But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him
on those who hope in his unfailing love
                                                    Psalm 33:18 New International Version
And so, Lord, where do I put my hope ?
  My only hope is in you.          
                                                    Psalm 39:7  New Living Translation 
For You are my hope; O Lord God,
You are my trust from my youth
and the source of my confidence.
                                                    Psalm 71:5  The Amplified Bible
Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob
Whose hope is in the LORD his God.
                                                    Psalm 146:5 Revised Standard Version.
People whose hope is in the Lord our God are a delight to be with.
You can trust that their attitudes, their social justice, their love and peace
 and even their  joys are coming from the same place.
There is one God and Father of us all
by whom we are called to the one hope,    see Ephesians 4:4.

PSALM 16 Trust in God

Psalm 16:1 KJV
Preserve me,  O God;   for in thee  do I  put  my  trust.

If you are utterly convinced that God's will for you
is the most wholesome for yourself and everybody else,.........
If you are sure that God's will is the absolute best that anyone could experience,
and that anything else would fall short of
God's purpose and intentions for each of us personally,..........
then you are at one with all those who have said
"Let it be done to me as you say"                     LUKE 1:38 NAB

For all of God's will is the very best for all of God's people.
The converse is also true;-
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
                                                                              Martin Luther King.

Luke 1:38  ESV
And Mary said," Behold, I am the servant of the Lord;
let it be to me according to your word."
ESV footnote 1:38
The section ends with Mary's example of true discipleship,
in submission to God's word and promise.
When we trust fully in the love and nearness of the LORD
we are quite at one with both the Psalmist David and
the blessed virgin Mary.

from  Psalm 16: ESV;-
1  Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2  I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord;"
    I have no good apart from you.
5  The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
    you hold my lot.
8  I have set the LORD always before me;
    because he is at my right hand 
    I shall not be shaken.

With our Lord Jesus we draw in daily prayer
to love and trust "Our Heavenly Father"as we pray
"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"
                                                               Matthew 6:10 KJV

We also reflect on the words of Paul from Acts 17:28
"In him we live and move and have our being"
For Paul's God is the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.

In joyful submission to the will and and purposes of THE LORD OUR GOD,
we seek, in grace, to make our desires and plans,
in harmony with His loving intentions for us.
If the Father calls you to love as He loves you
in the fire of the Holy Spirit,   blessed are you !

Psalm 16:11 ESV
11  You make known the path of life;
      in your presence is fullness of joy;
      at your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

The joy we share reaches past the grave.....for evermore.
Death does not separate us from the love of God.
The gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord.                      Romans 6:23 

PSALM 15 Careers

According to the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary Third Edition 1967,
A career is;-                     a race course,
                                  a short gallop at full speed,
                      a persons course or progress through life,
           a profession affording opportunities for advancement.
Psalm 15 gives details of a course of progress through life
                which will afford opportunities of advancement .
                Persons following this career will be blessed
                and live in a stable way , unshaken by change and adversity.

Walk blamelessly and do what is right, maintaining moral standards,
( before God and men)
Speak truth from the heart.
Be a person of integrity.
Speak up for what is right and verbally defend justice and peace.
Take no part in verbal abuse, neither mocking nor disparaging people
in conversation, in song or in hurtful humour.
Neither do wrong to to fellow men, nor take unfair advantage over anybody.
Do not leave other people's children hungry or without medical attention,
or without a good education, or without a home,
 and never use another persons need to your own advantage.
A good salesman will extol the benefits of his own products
without knocking the opposition ! It would be better if politicians
justified their own policies without maligning other politicians.
Casting a slur on others does nothing to enhance themselves.
Discern the actions of those who are harming people,
and doing harm to society.
Hitler is not the only tyrant in living memory.
The wicked need to be identified and strongly opposed.
Those who despise the vile man and honour the God fearing members
of the community, are in harmony with the will of God.
The truth must be spoken and defended in every walk of life.
Evil must be confronted and justice allowed to prevail.
Participating in the fight for justice and peace is second nature
to those who choose to live in the presence of the GOD who
 identifies with the poor and afflicted.
Bribery and corruption can be seen to hold back the development
of countries where there there is no integrity in public life.
Those who follow God's career plan
become pillars of the community
and continue to grow in the love and knowledge of the LORD
A man who's word can be depended upon, keeps his promises.
All commerce is built on trust.
All that can be done to build mutual trust is positive
for people and nations.
If politicians and other people in the media, lived in the will of God,
malicious deriding attitudes would disappear and their programs
would sound less immature.
The same applies to a persons course or progress through life.
The psalmist advocates a career in the will of God.

I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
with Him at my right hand 
I will not be shaken.
                                     Psalm 16:8

PSALM 15 Qualifications

Psalm 15 is the word of God.
Can we see what our God is saying to us today?
Does He still require "Workers of righteousness" ?
The answer is Yes, there are several vacancies,
and the qualifications for these jobs are;-

a      Those who obey God in everything
b      and always do what is right,
c      whose words are true and sincere.
                                                                  PSALM 15:2
                                                                  GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
A shortlist for those required today includes;-
        Those who lead blameless lives
        who walk with integrity
        and speak the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who seek these positions should know,
        " I will look with favour  on the faithful of the land
           that they may dwell with me;
           He who walks in the way of the blameless
           shall minister to me.                    PSALM 101:6

It will be good working here because our fellow employees
will all be people ;-
           whose tongue utters no slander
           who do no wrong to a neighbour
           and cast no slur on others,          Psalm 25:3  NIV
and
           Those who despise flagrant sinners 
           and honour the faithful followers of the LORD
           and keep their promises even when it hurts.
                                                                 PSALM 15:4

Those who take joy in doing what is right,
are disgusted by paedeophiles, human traffickers, drug dealers ,
corrupt piliticians, fraudulent business people and other thieves.
People really prefer to deal with those who can be  trusted,
who are dependable and would not undertake anything they
could not see their way to fulfill.

Psalm 15  A Psalm for David
LORD,  who may lodge in your tent ?
Who may dwell in your holy mountain?
One of blameless life, who does what is right
and speaks the truth from the heart;
who has no malice on his tongue,
who never wrongs his fellow,
and tells no tails against his neighbour;
who shows his scorn for those the LORD rejects,
but honours those who fear the LORD
who holds to his oath even to his own hurt,
who does not put his money out to usury,
and never accepts a bribe against the innocent.
He who behaves this way will remain unshaken.
                                                    REVISED ENGLISH BIBLE

PSALM 15 Vacancies

Psalm 15:1 KJV
LORD, who shall abide in your tabernacle,
who shall dwell in the holy hill ?

Psalm 15:1 GNB
Lord, who may enter your Temple?
Who may worship on Zion, your sacred hill?

Psalm 15:1 ESV
O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent ?
who shall dwell on your holy hill ?

Psalm 15:1 NLT
Who may worship in your sanctuary ?
Who may enter your presence on your holy hill ?

Psalm 23:6 KJV
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell
in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 84:4 ESV
Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
ever singing your praise !

Psalm 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

Psalm 43:3 ESV
Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling !

Psalm 15:1 could be asking how to get in,
how to join the holy community, or who is eligible ?

The tent in the wilderness was the place where
the presence of God was manifest in the midst of the people of God.
The holy hill is Mount Zion , where the nation of Israel
came to worship at the temple where they acknowledged
the presence of the of the God of Israel.

The veil of the temple was that separating the Holy Place
from the Holy of Hollies,  It was rent at the time of the
crucifixion to show that all men can freely come to God.

By becoming man, the Word has pitched His tent among us.

Matthew 18:20 KJV
For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there I am in the midst of them.

According to Strongs 3319, The Greek word for "midst" means;-
before them, between them, and among them.

PSALM 14 Wise and Foolish

Psalm 14 tells us;-
A fool says in his heart " there is no god"     NAB Ps14:1

Paul draws our attention to wisdom  and foolishness in Matthew 25

The reign of God can be likened to  .....           NAB
  the kingdom of heaven will be like                 NIV Matthew 25:1-2
  10 virgins who took their lamps
  and went out to  meet the bridegroom.
  Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

All alike have gone astray                                 NAB Matt 25:3
There is no one who does good                         NIV  Psalm 14:2
All have turned aside                                                  Psalm 14:3
They all became drowsy and slept                   ESV  Matt 25:5

The wise virgins took oil in jars                       NIV Matt 25:4
along with their lamps.

Yahweh is looking down from heaven at the sons of men
        to see if a single one is wise
                  if a single one is seeking God        Jerusalem Psalm 14:2

In Psalm 14 , wisdom  equates with "seeking God"

The workers of wickedness....                          NASB
       do not call upon the Lord
Are all the evildoers devoid of understanding                      Alternative service book
       who eat up my people as men eat bread                         Psalm 14:4
       and do not pray to the lord.

We could see Psalm 14 as on image of the Lord looking down
prior to his second coming .
The parable of the wise and foolish virgins may be seen to depict
 those waiting for the return of our Lord.

Titus 2:11-14  ESV.
11  For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people
12  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
      self controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age.
13  waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of our great God and 
      Savior ,  Jesus  Christ .
14  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify 
      for himself   a people for his own possession
      who are zealous for good works. 

In Titus 2:14  wisdom equates with " Zealous for good works"

Ephesians 2:10  ESV
For we are his workmanship, created in Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Those who are doing God,s will prayerfully,
 are preparing for the coming of the Lord .

PSALM 14 quoted by Paul

Romans 3:10-18   ESV
10  as it is written
           "None is righteous, no, not one;
11               no one understands;
                   no one seeks God.
12  All have turned aside; 
      together they have become worthless ;
                  no one does good,
                  not even one."
13  "their throat is an open grave;
              they use their tongues to deceive"
      "The venom of asps is under their lips,"
14  "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness"
15  "Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16          in their paths are ruin and misery,
17          and the way of peace they have not known"
18  "There is no fear of God before their eyes"

A prudent man takes time to reflect
 and to analyze the sources of his impulses,
  and the consequences of his actions.
The "ungodly"  neither seeks God nor practices reflective prayer.
The Christian who habitually "refers to God" in prayer,
        seeking discernment,
        seeking wisdom,
        seeking the will of God,
will be more aware of his own imperfections, and so able to seek grace
to be in harmony with the purposes of God,

     From heaven the Lord looks down on the sons of men
     to see if any of them are wise and seek God.

Our God observes all mankind, constantly watching  for any who seek God.
It is comforting to think that our Lord is present to us, and that
we are welcome to His presence and that we are loved as dear children..
When we come before God who is constantly observing  all the
sons and daughters of mankind, we can not pretend that He is not aware
of our hungry deprived fellow citizens.  He is personally acquainted with
the anguish of those in hospital and in prison ,in debt and in distress.
  Our Lord has a heart for all the afflicted .

!st Timothy 2:1  NAB
        FIRST of all I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions and 
        thanksgivings be offered for all men.

Ephesians 6:18  NAB
        At every opportunity pray in the Spirit
        using prayers and petitions of every sort.

Philippians 4:6 NAB
........Present your needs to God in every form of prayer.

If we believe that "His will" is, without reservation,
the very best thing for us, then that must be our prayer
for all men.  

PSALM 14 Our Prayer

A Translation of Psalm 14(13) from the Latin Vulgate 
by  Monsignor Knox

   There is no God above us, is the fond thought of reckless hearts;
   warped natures everywhere and hateful lives! There is not an 
2  innocent man among them. The Lord looks down from heaven 
   at the race of men, to find one soul that reflects, and makes
3  God its aim; but no, all have missed the mark and rebelled 
   against him; an innocent man is nowhere to be found. 
4  What, can they learn nothing, all these traffickers in iniquity,
   who feed themselves fat on this people of mine, as if it were
   bread for their eating, and never invoke the Lord's name ?
5  What wonder if fear unmans them, when the Lord takes 
   the part of the innocent ? 
6  Easily you thought to outwit the friendless; see, the Lord
    is his refuge.
7  Oh, that it might dawn over Sion, Israel's deliverance !
    Day of gladness for Jacob, day of Israel's triumph,
    when the Lord restores the fortunes of his own people. 

Praying Psalm 14
You are our God
you alone are our God
In our heart we seek You
We seek wisdom and discernment from you
Like sheep we have all gone astray
But we choose not to be corrupt
We choose not to be the oppressor, or the accuser
We do not want to be the evil doer
nor to mock or scorn the afflicted.
We wish to be among those who do what is good
We want to be your people
the community of the just
Please raise us up as your just generation
God with us
You are our refuge and our strength
We are glad You came out of Zion
You are the Christ  The Son of the living God
We say you are the Christ
You are our Lord.

We have to remember who's in charge.
In all the important things and in the detail,
we recognize the hand of God
In everyday life we need to put on the mind of Christ.
Being one in the Spirit with the whole body of Christ
is our joy.....anything else is a fly in the ointment.

In the body of Christ we are one, in gratitude,
in forgiveness, and in peace and love.
We  are one in the Spirit in praise and worship,
in thanksgiving and in prayer..
The whole people of God can pray Psalm 14.
Some phrases take on personal significance
when reflected in the light of our own life's experience.

                            

PSALM 14 some background

Some Old Testament background to Psalm 14
In 1st Samuel Chapter 25.....    While out in the wilderness,
David seeks food for his men. He asks someone
named "Nabal"  (literally fool)  for some food.
Nabal,s response is an insulting refusal.

In the Psalms of David  (Psalm 74:22)  David prays;-
     "Rise up, O God, plead your cause;
     Remember your insult (herpa) from a fool (nabal)
                                                                                   Psalm 74:22
and again in psalm 39:8  David prays;-
     Do not make me the scorn (harpa)  of a fool (nabal)
                                                                                   Psalm 39:8

In Psalm 14  the wicked and corrupt are equated with a fool.

We read of wickedness in 2nd Samuel Ch13 v 12-13.
Tamar was David's daughter   and Amnon her half brother.
2nd Samuel 13:7 ESV
Then David sent home to Tamar , saying "Go to your 
brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him"
verse 11;- he took hold of her and said to her, 
"Come lie with me sister"
12  She answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me,
for such a thing is not done in Israel;   do not do this
 outrageous thing.
13 As for me where could I carry my shame ?
And as for you, you would be as one of the outrageous fools
 in Israel.
14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she,
he violated her and lay with her .
19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she wore.
And she laid her hand on her head and went away, 
crying aloud as she went.
21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.

David's prayer in psalm 14  is informed by the reality of wickedness
in everyday life. But David's supplication is made , in confidence
and trust , from long experience and deep faith.

Psalm 36:7 ESV
How precious is your steadfast love, O, God !
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings..

Psalm 14:6
You (the evildoers) would shame the plans of the poor
but the Lord is his refuge.

These prayers ask for more than a promise for the future.
These words are spoken in the present tense
with the assurance that God is right in our present circumstance.
God is our refuge and strength now !
The God to whom I pray
is right in my present circumstance.

My God in whom I trust, You are my refuge and my fortress.
                                                                                                  Amen.

PSALM 14 The Lord is my hope.

The singer and the reader proclaim aloud the word of God.
The listener may follow the printed words.
Those seeking after God read many of the best translations
and editions of psalm 14..People who have had different life experiences
and people from different generations may see a different emphasis
and relate differently to the psalm. Even a familiar psalm tune
may help us to relate personally, especially as we become aware
that we are being addressed personally.  The word of the Lord,
the wisdom, the love , the healing , reconciliation and hope
is addressed to us. If hope is being offered, make that hope yours.
If healing is being offered, claim the healing for yourself,
for your family and your community. Help heal the nation!
   In Psalm 23 "The Lord is my shepherd"
we easily identify with that statement (unless we reject it)

In translations of Psalm 14 we find expressions to describe
those in trouble. There are fools, evildoers who are depraved
and whose deeds are vile, Workers of wickedness and the corrupt
who are abominable. People who have turned aside from God,
who never call Yahweh, who do not pray to the Lord.
  At any time the wicked may get a flash of their own fallen-ness
 and the dire consequences,causing fear to strike into their hearts.
Psalm 14:5 NCV
But later they will be filled with terror
for God is on the side of the righteous.
In contrast, in Psalm 14 we also meet "My people", "the poor"
"the afflicted,  and the poor man who says "the Lord is my hope"
Those who understand and seek God,  Those who are doing good
and those who act wisely. With these people we are in the company
of the righteous !
       When PAUL is a reader of Psalm 14, he can see that Psalm 14
describes our sinful condition, that no one is "just" in God,s sight !
and that we all need to be saved by Jesus Christ.
       The psalmist recognizes that he himself falls short in God's eyes.
Psalm 130:3 NCV
If you, O Lord , kept a record of our sins
O Lord, who could stand upright ?

Psalm 143: 2 NCV
Do not subject your servant to your judgement
for no one living is righteous before you.

Psalm 14 speaks of the moral depravity with which we associate
the flood, Soddom and Gomorrah, The tower of Babel, the golden calf
and the personal, national and international turning aside of God,s
people in the present day.. But the last verse in Psalm 14 is a prayer.

Psalm 14:7 GNB
I pray that victory will come to Israel from Zion
How happy the people of Israel will be 
when the Lord makes them prosperous again|!

The prayer is answered

Matthew 27:45  ESV
there was darkness over the land until the ninth hour.

We know that was the hour when our Lord Jesus cried out
with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

PSALM 14 Any Who Seek God

People are rejecting God,s truth or leaving God,s truth to one side.
for convenience !  There is a convenience culture.
Leaving God,s truth aside  for convenience
leads to denying God,s existence for convenience.

We need to relearn how to listen to scripture with fresh ears
and allow it to speak directly to us.
The words of God received in faith
project into our imagination and our memory
speaking to the heart in the power of the Spirit.

that you may stand perfect and complete
in all the will of God.                                 Colossians 4:12 NKJV

Blessed is he who reads  and those who hear the words of this
 prophecy (The revelation of Jesus Christ) and keep those things
 which are written in it, for the time is short.
                                                                     Revelation 1:3  NKJV

In contemplation we perceive with our own mind
and divine revelation may filter through to the heart.
If knowledge can be perceived,
light can be shone on that knowledge
to bring to light  wisdom which may be accrued.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness
 did not comprehend it.                             John 1:5  NKJV
.
There is darkness in the hearts of men
turned away from the light.
We need faith to believe.
There is knowledge contained in our awareness of history.
Our God given imagination receives an image
of the "man sent by God"  (John).
If we believe he was sent by God
and if we believe his message;-
then the words of scripture become manifest in our imagination,
rest in our memory, and we can contemplate the word of God in our heart.

How could we ever again turn aside from the living  God
and pretend that He is not with us ?

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God"
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile,
 there is no-one who does good.
The Lord looks down from heaven
 on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
 any who seek God.
All have turned aside 
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good, not even one.
Will evildoers never learn--
those who devour my people as men eat bread.
and who call not on the LORD?
                                                                   PSALM 14:1-4   NIV

PSALM 14 Today

The revelation which we have of the will of God
is much wider than the rules and regulations contained
in the books from Exodus to Deuteronomy.
The believer today, seeking discernment, would seek for
"the will of God" rather than "the law". although of course
"the Law"  is the will of God.
    The whole history of Israel may be quoted to make ethical points.
The Psalms allude to the Pentateuch to fill psalm singers with
revelation of the will of God.
    For those who have become aware of social, political, and moral
 corruption today, meditation on psalm 14 offers aids to discernment.
By referring to the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, The tower of Babel,
the golden calf and the turning aside of God,s people, we can appreciate
that there are historical precedents for all that is happening today.

Genesis 6:12 ESV
And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh
had corrupted their way on the earth.

In psalm 14 : 2-3 we find the same ideas and terminology.

Psalm 14 ESV
2   The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of men,
     to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
3   They have all turned aside ; together they have become corrupt;

"hishit" ....."corrupt" occurs in psalm 14:1, 53:1 and Genesis 6:12-13.

Exodus 32:7 & 8  ESV
7   And the LORD said to Moses "Go down, for your people whom 
     you have brought out of Egypt, have corrupted themselves.
8   They have turned aside quickly out of the way I commanded them
     They have made themselves a golden calf.........

We do not have to wait to read or hear a hand written copy of the bible
read out in Hebrew, Greek or Latin.  Excellent translations of the bible
are available in many languages on the internet.but;-
God has not stopped revealing himself to those who "seek after God"
The printed word has allowed "the children of man" from every generation
to share with us the revelation and inspiration which has illuminated their lives.
Those who "seek to understand " in our generation may be encouraged by;-
Ruth,  Hannah,  David, Paul,  Clement of Rome, Iranaeus of Lyons,
Anthony of Egypt, John Cassian, Patrick, Benedict, Columbanus,
the Venerable Bede, Alcuin, Anselm, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas,
Meister Eckhart, Catherine of Siena, Thomas a Kempis, Albrecht Durer,
Ignatious of Loyola, Theresa of Avila, John Cosin, Brother Lawrence,
Jean Pierre de Caussade, Charles Wesley, John Newton, Theresa of Lisieux,
Elizabeth of the Trinity, Thomas Merton, Brother Roger of Taize,and by
Carey Landry  and by one another in the body of Christ.
1st JOHN 1:7 ESV
..if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the
 blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

PSALM 14:!

PSALM 14:1
The fool says in his heart
" There is no God "

Ephesians 5:17  RSV
Therefor do not be foolish,
but understand what the will of the Lord is.

This verse illustrates the biblical meaning of "wise" and "foolish"
Biblically  "fool" is not used to indicate insanity or stupidity.
"Folly" is the opposite of wisdom,
which one receives as a gift of revelation.

So NOT having revelation (like the Gentiles in Deuteronomy 32:31)
makes them a foolish nation because they have no wisdom.
Disregarding divine revelation "like Israel in Deuteronomy 32:6)
makes them foolish because they have disregarded wisdom
and chosen foolishness.
Disobedience to God,s revealed will in scripture
is not wisdom, that is foolishness.
So the biblical meaning of "fool"  is more serious
than merely calling someone stupid or silly.
In the biblical sense, the fool is virtually "apostate" or "damned".
Folly really contrasts with "the wisdom of the LORD"

James 3:13 and 3:17  ESV
13  Who is wise and understanding among you ?
      By his good conduct let him show his works
      in the meekness of wisdom.
17  the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,
      gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits,
      impartial and sincere.

PROVERBS 4:5   NIV
Get wisdom, get understanding,
do not forget my words or swerve from them.

We are constantly changing according to the revelation
we have received, (The self revelation of our God),
that His glory may be revealed through Christ in you and me.
The life of Christ is in us,
releasing the Glory of Christ
that His Glory might be revealed through our lives.

We can say with the psalmist,
The Lord is
          "my glory and the lifter of my head.  ( Psalm 3:3) 

Our Lord Jesus confirms this in  John 17:22
John 17:22
 "The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them"
John 17:26
that the love with which thou hast loved me
may be in them , and I in them."

PSALM 13

Psalm 13:2  English Standard Version
How long must I take counsel in my soul ?

Let us continue to enjoy scripture
to receive the enlightenment we still need.

Psalm 13:3 New International Version
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God,
give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.

The light of revelation shines more
for those who have something in store
in the stockrooms of their memories
because the Holy Spirit is able to bring to the fore
the most appropriate verses for the present moment.

Psalm 13:5-6  Revised Standard Version
But I have trusted in thy steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.

Because we are in  Christ
we turn to the Father
with the Spirit's cry of Love.

Those who are one in Christ
are participants in the collective struggle
and we do have solidarity,
the quality of being united and at one.
In practice we are at one in respect to;-
our sympathies, interests and aspirations,
especially our joint responsibilities in the will of God
according to scripture.
There will be one flock, one shepherd .  John 10:16 ESV

1st Corinthians 12:27  
Now you are the body of Christ
and individually members of it.

Ephesians 4:4 ESV
There is one body and one Spirit.

We are at one
with all who trust in the steadfast love of the living God.
The Spirit who lives in my heart to draw me to the Father
is also the Spirit present in all creation, the same Spirit
who groans in the heart of my brothers and sisters.

The silence in which we know God
is a fraternal silence
where there is neither thine nor mine,
but where ,
God deep within all of us
makes of us.....one heart and one Spirit.

PSALM 12

A believer with a bible and the Holy Spirit, may read Psalm 12
in the context of his own life.         ( In John 16:13 we have the
promise that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. )
Psalm 118:8 NRSV
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than put confidence in mortals.
We have enjoyed a society in which  we could expect to be able
to trust people.But in a society in which it is not safe to trust people,
we have to be constantly careful.
We are not licensed to stand in judgement of people, But;-
we do notice anti-social  and self centered behaviour.
and we soon become aware of unholy attitudes.
We are bothered about injustice, violence, oppression, hunger and pain..

Without judging individual people, we become aware of;-
lack of reverence,       reduced sense of honour    less faithfulness,
  people being not so dependable,
 and having a reduced sense of responsibility.
It touches us when evil is applauded, trust is broken
and decent things are derided.
If you had gone to my Sunday school you would know
that a good society "sets the poor in safety".................
spiritually, medically, financially,  morally, educationally and
nutritionally.
Our attitudes on this are either self justified or divinely justified.
Love and caring results in justice and peace.
LUKE 11:13 NRSV
If you then who are evil, 
know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more will the heavenly Father 
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
As the Holy Spirit is within us
these words serve more than an academic purpose.
The love and will of God is in us when we respond to Psalm 12:5
Psalm 12:5 NRSV
"Because the poor are despoiled
                 because the needy groan,
     I will now rise up," says the LORD;
"I will place them in the safety for which they long."

The Christian response to psalm 12 is to pray and act
as friends of Jesus,  with friends of Jesus.
JOHN 15: 15 NJB
I shall no longer call you servants
because a servant does not know his masters business;
I call you friends,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.

In the light of Psalm 12 we need to be radical Christians,
bringing fundamental change to the lives of people in our day
and bringing far reaching renewal of our society.
New life for individuals and healing for society.
Philippians 2:13 NRSV
for it is God who is at work in you,
enabling you both to will and work 
for his good pleasure,

PSALM 11

When things get too bad, people are tempted to emigrate,
the Scots have been doing that for generations.
Some people leave society to become a hermit.
Bands of robbers "take to the hills" to avoid the law.
When society changes, when your own values and your
own culture are threatened, you may seek a "New World"
somewhere else.
     When you are actually under attack, you need to go to
"the shelter" . In London during WW2  as in Israel  today,
people need a place of refuge.

Psalm 11:1  NRSV
In the LORD I take refuge;
how can you say to me,
"Flee like a bird to the mountains."

In Psalm 11 the psalmist makes a statement of confidence.
He feels he should stand fast in the faith that
"the LORD protects those who take refuge in Him."

ISAIAH 54:10  NRSV
For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

The psalmist is confident because he is a member of God,s
covenant community. Why should he run off to the hills
when he has God,s covenant promises ?

Psalm 46:1-2  KJV
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.

There is no doubt about where the psalmist stands.
As C.S.Lewis points out;
The Lord is righteous and commands righteousness
because He  loves righteousness.
He enjoys what is good, because it is good and
because He is good.

Psalm 11:7  New English Bible
For the LORD is just and loves just dealing;
His face is turned towards the upright man.
Psalm 84:11
No good thing does the LORD withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

The God of Israel has his way of dealing with cities
and nations who turn their back on Him.
As individuals we have some responsibility, before God,
for the society in which we live.
If the city has turned it's back on God and has embraced injustice,
we need  to discern God's values and share His vision !

PSALM 9 (9,10)

Psalm 9(9,10) demonstrates that the psalmist is ever mindful of the
active presence of God, in an ongoing way, in every area of life.
He praises God with rejoicing and with song.
He is aware of God's activity in everyday life
as a righteous judge, in conflict with the ungodly,
actively defending the oppressed.
Like the psalmist, we experience in our own lives
 the presence of our divine Creator.
We are an integrated part of His divine creation.
   Our own sphere of influence (and dominion)
is experienced in His power and in His authority.
No wonder the prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
In fact the very act of crying out to God in petition
recognizes God's capacity and God's willingness
to act for us.
Psalm 9:13 NRSV
Be gracious to me O LORD.
See what I suffer from those who hate me.

Psalm 8,9 and 10 express a liberation theology
for the poor, the oppressed and the afflicted.
God's commitment to the poor is NOT equivocal,
ambivalent or ambiguous.
Social injustice is perpetrated by the oppressors
(not by the poor)
The poor are the victims of the oppressors.
Some newspapers and political commentators
would have you believe the opposite!
The same people condescendingly advise Christian
leaders to stay out of politics.

The honest business practices of people who
do the right thing and treat people fairly
are not always seen to be the most successful.
Psalm 10 speaks of times when the wicked and
the arrogant seem to have the upper hand.
But people ( and nations) who turn their back on God
or who choose to disreguard  His presence
in fact choose not a blessing but a curse.
Psalm 9 St Athanasius Academy Septuagint
10  The Lord is also a refuge for the poor man
       A helper in seasons of affliction ;
13  He does not forget the cry of the poor.

If we believe that "His will" is, without reservation,
the very best, for ourselves , then that must be our
prayer...for all men.
1st Timothy 2:1 RSV
First of all then, I urge that supplications, intercessions,
and thanksgivings be made for all men...

There is not a child in the world who deserves
a poor diet ,   a poor education,  poor health care,
poor justice,  or  poor accommodation.
We have a ministry of care
in His power and in His authority.......

To help the fatherless and poor unto their right.
Psalm 10:20 from the psalter of the book of common prayer . 

PSALM EIGHT

If we consider Psalm 8: 1 and 9, in the light of Amos 2: 6,7 and 8
we can see that there is an unacceptable incongruity in taking part
in public praise of God and also being responsible for affliction
of the needy. The glorification of God can never be at the expense
of the poor.
Psalm 8:1 NRSV
O LORD, our Sovereign,
     how majestic is your name in all the earth !
     You have set your glory above the heavens.

Amos 2:6-7-8  NRSV
6 Thus says the LORD:
For three transgressions of Israel, and for four,
I will not revoke the punishment;
because they sell the righteous for silver,
and the needy for a pair of sandals.
7 they who trample the head of the poor
 into the dust of the earth,
and push the afflicted out of the way;
father and son go in for the same girl,
so that my holy name is profaned.
8 they lay themselves down beside every altar
on garments taken in pledge;
and in the house of their God
they drink wine bought with fines they imposed.

Psalm 8:9 NRSV
O LORD, our Sovereign,
     how majestic is your name in all the earth !

We can hardly impose austerity on the young and old and then give
thanks and praise to our God who lifts up the weak and lowly.
The words of prayer which we express to the God of heaven and
earth, can not be isolated from the words and deeds which affect
our neighbour.
Psalm 8 calls us to an awareness of the Divine Majesty, present
to us in prayer, and the Human Dignity of our fellow beings and
ourselves as perceived by the mind of Christ.
Psalm 8: 4-5-6 NRSV
4  What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
mortals that you care for them ?
5  Yet you have made them a little lower than God,
and crowned them with glory and honour.
6  You have given them dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet.

Our attitudes in prayer need to match our attitudes in everyday life,
and may they always match the example given in Psalm 72..
Psalm 72:12-13-14  NRSV
12 for he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
13 He has pity on the needy, and saves the lives of the needy
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his eyes.

PSALM SEVEN

Rule of law keeps society operating within acceptable legal bounds.
Social limits and unwritten family standards keep us from doing things
which ( if made public ) would make us embarrassed or ashamed .
The child has to learn not to fight with or hurt his friends in order
to experience the joys of friendship.
People are sometimes aggressively competitive. They bring the
attitudes of office politics into what might otherwise be quiet
social gatherings.  In retirement, people can bring the immaturity
of the infant class  ( social domination, bragging and bullying )
into the over 60's coffee morning.
Social maturity is either a Christian virtue or fruit of the Spirit.
The long suffering are likely to turn  (with the psalmist) to seek
the intervention of the Lord our God.

PSALM 7: 6   NJB
Arise, Yahweh, in your anger,
rise up against the arrogance of my foes.
Awake , my God, you demand judgment. 

The child who is being bullied
and the worker who suffers injustice from fellow workers
or supervisors, may join the psalm praying community.

Psalm 7:9 NJB
Put an end to the malice of the wicked.
Make the upright stand firm
You who discern hearts and minds, God the Upright.

Christian answer boldly
"While I breathe I pray"

From a hymn by St Andrew of  Crete, 660-732
translated from the Greek by J.M. Neale DD  1818- 1866.

The hymn calls Christians to rise up in battle against the forces
 of evil in our world  and our temporal flesh.

Christian, dost thou see them on the holy ground,
How the powers of darkness rage thy steps around ?
Christian, up and smite them, counting gain but loss
In the strength that cometh by the holy cross.

Christian, dost thou feel them , how they work within,
Striving, tempting, luring, goading into sin ?
Christian never tremble; never be downcast;
Gird thee for the battle, watch and pray and fast.

Christian dost thou hear them, how they speak thee fair ?
"Always fast and vigil?  Always watch and prayer?"
Christian answer boldly: " While I breathe I pray !"
Peace shall follow battle, night shall end in day.

And when we get through it all and  get home in one piece,
we can sing;-
Psalm 7:17 NJB
I thank Yahweh for His saving justice
I sing to the name of the Most High. 

PSALM SIX

The psalmist feels desperate. His oppression is physical;-
Psalm 6:2b "my bones are troubled".
His oppression is social and psychological;-
Psalm 6:3   " my soul is greatly troubled".
His oppression is spiritual ;-
Psalm 6:8   "depart from me all you workers of evil"

We need to be delivered/healed in all three areas,
since each can be noticeably limiting.
It is a blessing that help is accessible wherever we find ourselves.
Psalm 139:8 ESV   If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
Strained relationships can make us feel unwell.
We are also vulnerable when our relationship with the Lord
is out of kilter .
Psalm 38:3  ESV   "There is no health in my bones because of my sin"
The psalmist does not have a professional counselor or spiritual director
or even a caring house group to pray over him.
In Psalm six the psalmist feels able to "take it to the Lord in prayer"
with most effective results.....

Adonai has heard my cry  !
Adonai has heard my plea  !
Adonai accepts my prayer   !

Such faith,  such conviction,  enables the psalmist
to speak with authority,
Psalm 6:8  ESV  "Depart from me all you workers of evil"

EPHESIANS 6:12 ESV
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,
against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

So the psalmist engages with "principalities and powers" ( KJV )
when he commands with authority;-
Depart from me all you workers of evil.

How did he reach this point?
In verse three he prayed "save my life"
In Hebrew and in Latin this reads "deliver my soul"
In Septuagint Greek "nephesh" reads" life giving breath"
"my nephesh" reads   " myself...my life...my soul ".

When we are desperate   (  as the psalmist was )
When our life giving breath is at risk, or even restricted,
we become aware of our own breath.....our life giving breath.....
before God in prayer.
To come in all our vulnerability before our creator and Lord,
on whom we totally depend.......,
is a helpful disposition for personal prayer.

Allow yourself to become aware of your breath.........
Be aware that you are in the presence of the Living God.

PSALM FIVE

Psalm 5:1-2  ESV,  English Standard Version.

1   Give ear to my words , O LORD;

     consider my groaning.

2   Give attention to the sound of my cry,

     my King and my God,

     for to you do I pray.

"God and king" might have limited significance if you were a peasant living

 in a forest and the king lived in a palace far away and did not know your name.

But if your God is the God of creation and he chose you personally, before

time began, to be His adopted son, that makes a difference.

Then if the same God also reigns in your heart, not as a tyrant king, but as

the most loving Heavenly Father, bestowing paternal direction, paternal 

love and forgiveness, and blessing upon blessing,.....

then what a blessing that is.

Psalm 5:3  ESV

O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice;

in the morning, I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

Like the psalmist, Jesus rose early

to pray to his Heavenly Father.

Mark 1:35 ESV

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark,

he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.

"My God and my king" in verse 2 leads to" my voice," in verse 3

which underlines the personal nature of these attitudes and actions.

The words suggest that the psalmists prayer is spoken aloud;-

"my words"  "my groaning"  "the sound of my cry"

" my voice" and "my prayer". 

It is important that from the beginning of the day

I address God's presence and God's purposes.

I turn up to Him to find out His agenda.

It is not right to get the day started up then decide 

if and when we can fit Him in.

LEVITICUS 20:7-8 New English Bible

Hallow yourselves and be holy,  because I the LORD your God am holy.

You shall keep my rules and obey them: I am the LORD who hallows you.

ESV...Consecrate yourselves          KJV  Sanctify yourselves

In Leviticus 20:7-8 we find, not a text book , but words of direction,

addressed in love by our Heavenly Father.

Psalm 5

7   But I through the abundance of your love
will enter your dwelling place..........
8   Lead me, O LORD in your righteousness.....
12 (13 in the Jewish Study Bible)
For You surely bless the righteous man, O LORD,
encompassing him with favor like a shield.

What a prayer;-   Encompass me with favor like a shield.
What a blessing;-  May the LORD bless you by encompassing you
with favor , like a shield..

PSALM FOUR

Belief and faith are fundamental. but if the faith and belief are only academic
then forgiveness and love remain mostly academic. We have to trust  God
in practice in the reality of our own lives.
The God of creation is much more than an academic thought. He is real.
We are his created creatures. He is our Creator.
The transfiguration speaks of power and light, but it was not a rock concert.
The power and the light are amazing and supernatural.
The prompting of the Holy Spirit is supernatural.
Blessing involves supernatural power.
Christian love and Christian forgiveness move mountains
and change the material world.
Christians are more than observers,
We are participators in a much greater reality.

Psalm 4 verse 4 calls us to meditation in awe of the Lord,
in full righteousness won for us by the blood of Christ.
While resting in the Lord we are to meditate in silence i.e.listening.
In verses 6-8 the psalmist shares publicly - very publicly-
his own personal experience of grace!
Amid personal affliction and suffered injustice, the psalmist experiences
Spiritual light, Spiritual joy Spiritual peace and divine kindness !
In faith he is physically, mentally and spiritually engaged.

There is no indication in verse 4 that the meditation called for
should be a humanistic consideration without reference to God,
or an academic study. The meditation called for here must be of a truly
charismatic, spirit filled variety accessible to all faith filled believers.....
free to the  braves, not just the chiefs.
We move from contemplative prayer to charismatic witness
with only one verse in between.
Verse five instructs us to trust in the LORD.

Psalm 119:47-48 NRSV
I find delight in your commandments
     because I love them.
I revere your commandments which I love,
     and I will meditate on your statutes.

Three portions of scripture upon which we might meditate,
which point to the supernatural nature of our faith.

Matthew 17:2 ESV                               Light
And he was transfigured before them, 
and his face shone like the sun,
and his clothes became white as light.

Philippians 4:7 ESV                             Peace
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 38:7                                             Joy
When the morning stars sang together
and the sons of God shouted for joy.

Galations 4:6-7 ESV                             Sons and Heirs
And because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of his son
into your hearts, crying"Abba ! Father !"
So you are no longer a slave, but a son,
and if a son, then an heir through God.

PSALM THREE

Psalm 3:1  KJV
LORD, how are they increased that trouble me!
many are they that rise up against me.

The  media, every hour, reminds us of the darkness
which is creeping into our society.
Bibles may no longer be placed in student accommodation .
Prayers are prohibited in council chambers.
Deviance is approved by the synod.
Christian counsel is restricted in hospitals.
Crosses are removed from court rooms.

While our church buildings are sold because they are empty,
other church buildings are burned down ;-
in Papua New Guinea,South Sudan India, Pakistan, Nigeria,
Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, China, Indonesia..................

We join all these victims when we come to the LORD.
They are already on their knees before Him.

Celebrity naturalists challenge divine creation !!!
Celebrity scientists challenge God's existence.
But God laughs.

Psalm 2:4 KJV
He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:
the Lord shall have them in derision.

King David addresses the Lord personally in Psalm 3
but he also speaks for the people of God.
From around the world we are joined in prayer
by "Whomsoever will"

1st Timothy 2:2 NKJ
I exhort therefor, that, first of all,
supplications, prayers, intercessions, and
giving of thanks, be made for all men.;

Denominational names are irrelevant before the Lord.
People in London pray knee by knee with faith filled
believers from many nations and many Christian backgrounds.
But each of us are members of the one body of Christ.
Like the psalmist we sometimes pray on behalf of the
People of God and sometimes we slip into the back row
as one known by name and recognized by our loving Saviour.

Psalm 3:6-8 KJV
6  I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,
that have set themselves against me round about .
7  Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God;
for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone.
thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8  Salvation belongeth unto the LORD;
thy blessing is upon thy people.