PSALM 100 GOD INVITES

It is the will of God that we should participate
in the revelation of the glory of God and in
the revelation of the love of God.
We are invited to raise a shout for the LORD
and worship Him in gladness.
When we are feeling glad all over,
that is exuberant gladness.
We are really pleased and we are to show it.
With thousands upon thousands of Christians
around the world we are one with the believers
of Beijing Shouwang  Church
who give witness to the glory of God,
week after week.
Psalm 96:3 Declare his glory among the nations.
Psalm  100:4 Septuagint SAAS
Give thanks to Him; praise His Name.
As Christians we use Psalm 100 as a Psalm of thanksgiving
to our Lord and Saviour ,Jesus Christ.
We thank Him for the joy of serving Him.
We thank Him that He is our Lord and God,
that through Him we were created and that
He made us the sheep of His pasture and that He has gone to
prepare a place for us in the world to come.

PSALM 100 WE BELIEVE

Psalm 100:3 in Metre 

We know that the Lord is God indeed.

Without our aid he did us make.

We are his flock he doth us feed

and for his sheep he doth us take.

Psalm 97:6

The heavens proclaim his righteousness

and all the peoples see his glory.

In our belief we are united in the community of belief,

the society completely in God's will,

the people of God.

1st Peter 2:9 ESV

you are....a holy nation.

In Psalm 100 we sing our belief that we will

enter his gates with praise (the gates of paradise)

We believe that we approach with joy his courts unto,

(the court of His Presence), and that we will

Praise laud and bless His name always.

We believe in the eternity of divine love.

Psalm 117:2   For great is His love towards us

the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Psalm 100:5 ...the Lord our God is good.
and we trust God's goodness.

PSALM 100 GOD LOVES

Psalm 100 from The Psalms of David in Metre,
a Scottish translation in metre for singing:
Used throughout the English speaking world
as a hymn which speaks of God's love,
of our deepest belief,
of God's invitation to us to participate in His
wonderful will for all creation and to enter His
community of love in this life and the next,
and, of our reaction to the divine invitation,
to come in gladness and joy to participate
in all that He has in store for those who love Him.
Psalm 100:1  All people that on earth do dwell...
This verse speaks of the inclusive will of God
                         and the inclusive love of God.
Anything less than total unity-- in love--by all mankind
falls short of God's hopes for us!
Psalm 100: 5  For why? the Lord our God is good
                       His mercy is forever sure,
                       His truth at all times firmly stood
                       and shall from age to age endure.
Psalm 106:1  Give thanks to the LORD,
                       for He is good,
                       His love endures forever.

PSALM 99 Call on the Name of the Lord

Moses says,         Aaron says,          Samuel says,
The Psalms of David say,
Paul says,
The Bible says.......

Psalm 99:6 NIV
Moses and Aaron were among his priests
Samuel was among those who called on his name
they called on the Lord
and he answered them.

Moses, Aaron and Samuel interceded with the Lord
on behalf of the nations.
To-day Christians need to be interceding with the Lord
on behalf of the nations.
Paul defines who is Christian.........
1st Corinthians Ch1 v2  NIV
       those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy,
together with all those who call on the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ-- their Lord and ours.

God's people call on the Name of the Lord.

1st Corinthians Ch6 v11 NIV
       But you were washed, you were sanctified and you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 
and by the Spirit of our God.

IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING
with all who;-
            who call on the name of the Lord
            who intercede with the Lord on behalf of the nations.
            who praise the great and awesome name
                    of the Lord our God
                    and worship at his footstool
             who keep his statutes
                    and the decrees he gave us
             who exalt the Lord our God
                     and worship him on his holy mountain.

PSALM 98 The vision of both David and Isaiah

Psalm 98:4 ESV
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Psalm 66:1 ESV
Shout for joy to God, all the earth;

Isaiah 44:23 ESV
Sing , O heavens, for the LORD has done it;
shout , O depths of the earth;
break forth into singing. O mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!

Our worship is to be part of the universal liturgy of heaven.
In Isaiah 44 verse 2 and verse 24, we are reminded that our Lord
is our Creator and our Redeemer.
We are made in his image
and It is our destiny to become Christlike.

When People of different denominations can hardly bring themselves
to worship under one roof,  the unity and depth of worship envisioned
in the Psalms of David and by Isaiah, seem beyond our best hopes.
But the intervention of God in pouring out water and pouring out His Spirit
will enable   all the earth
to shout for joy to God, and to break forth into joyous song and sing praises! 

PSALM 98:7-8 Unite in Worship

Psalm 98:7-8 NIV
7     Let the sea resound, and everything in it
             the world , and all who live in it.
8     Let the rivers clap their hands
             let the mountains sing together for joy;

All creation is called to take part in universal worship,
on the sea, by the riverside and in the mountains,
every living creature united in the Spirit..............
united in the same Spirit which hovered over the waters
in creation.
Genesis 1:1......darkness was over the deep
 and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

In that Spirit, let all creation unite in worship.

PSALM 98:6 Proclaim Victory

If we react positively to psalm 96,  we will;-
Sing to the LORD                                               verse 1
Shout for joy to the LORD                                 verse 4
burst into jubilant song                                        verse 4
and
shout for joy before the LORD                           verse 6

This is exuberant full on praise
but there is something more.

verse 6 in the NIV
with trumpets and the blast of the ram's horn--
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

verse 6 TLV Psalms
with trumpets and the sound of the shofar
blast a sound before the King. Adonai.

The shofar blast, the blast of the King
at once acclaims the King
and announces His presence among us as King.
As on a field of battle the King takes authority
and leadership of His host.
We all as members of His great army
give a mighty shout to proclaim victory for our King.
We taste the victory in our soul
and proclaim it with our lips.

Psalm 98:9 KJV
...for he cometh to judge the earth
with righteousness shall he judge the World
and people with equity.

We are participating in the final battle !

PSALM 98:4 Acclaim Yahweh

Psalm 98:4 NIV
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth
burst into jubilant song with music.

and from Psalms Anew;-
Sing praise to Yahweh all the earth
ring out your joy...........acclaim Yahweh.

A room full of us singing praise, bursting into jubilant song...
would be very good , but would fall short of the command;-
sing praise to Yahweh all the earth.
All praise and worship is prayer and the word of God says;-
First pray for all men. (1st Timothy 2:1)
So perhaps we can sing praise to Yahweh on behalf of
all the earth.
When we shout for joy to the LORD
for and on behalf of all the earth
then we become the church of God
singing praise to the Lord , for all mankind.

PSALM 97 Rejoice and be Glad

When we can look at things, and be glad;-
When the gratitude that we have is overflowing;-
that is when we can rejoice and be glad.

Sometimes, by grace, we are filled with joy
and sometimes joy is like music which fills the air
around the group of people at the meeting we are in.

According to psalm 97:11, light and joy are divine gifts.
Psalm 90:14 asks that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Matthew 5:12 promises that our rejoicing and gladness
will continue in Heaven !

Because our God reigns in us, people rejoice and are glad.
What is heard in Zion causes the towns of Judah to rejoice and be glad.
"The just" rejoice in Yahweh and are glad
to give thanks to God's holy name!

Those who have reason to rejoice in the LORD
often reveal their gladness in their peaceful demeanour
and infectious joy.

Those who experience persecution will rejoice and be glad
in anticipation of their great reward in Heaven.

Those who seek and find mercy in the LORD are able
to rejoice and be glad all their days.

When Love reigns, people rejoice
and are glad from coast to coast.

PSALM 96 Vision of Worship

Psalm 96:1  NIV
Sing to the LORD a new song
       sing to the Lord all the earth.

First of all, how do we sing a "New" song?
and secondly, how do we do that in unity with "all the earth"

Are we all going to be inspired simultaneously
to sing a fresh new song in harmony with" families of nations."
...in harmony with the rejoicing heavens
...in harmony with the jubilant fields
...in harmony with all the trees of the forest singing for joy ?
The answer is that we do it "One in the Spirit"

Ephesians 5:18-19 NASB
be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs,
singing and making melody
with your heart to the Lord.

Such lively expectant worship, full of anticipation
and joy might fulfill the psalmists vision in
Psalm 96:11-13 NIV
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
    let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
    they will sing before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
    and the peoples in his truth.

Ephesians 5 talks about "speaking" in the Spirit
and "singing" in the Spirit
and" making melody with your heart",
the prerequisite for which is;-
being " filled with the Spirit".

Singing in the Spirit does make us one
with people of all nations who are also
"One in the Spirit"
We are one in the Spirit with the angels of heaven
when singing in the Spirit.

We  know that this psalm 96 was sung when the arc of
the covenant was placed in the newly built tabernacle
in Jerusalem.
We know that psalm 96 was a regular part of the liturgy
in Jerusalem for hundreds of years, even in the days
when Jesus walked in Galilee.
So there is already a good crowd of people up there
who are completely familiar with psalm 96.

When we sing psalm 96 in Spirit and truth,
again enthroning Jesus as King in our own lives,
we assert our citizenship of the Holy Nation
and Royal Priesthood of the Children of God.

PSALM 96 One Lord of All

Psalm 96:10 NIV 
       Say unto the nations, "The LORD reigns".
       The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved
       he will judge the people with equity.

Acts 10:42 NIV
       He commanded us to preach to the people
       and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed
       as judge of the living and the dead.

Acts 17:31 NIV
       For he has set a day when he will judge the world
       with justice and by the man he has appointed.
       He has given proof of this to all men
       by raising him from the dead.

The Creator of all,
The Redeemer of all
and Judge of all.

Creator, Redeemer and Judge
are true images of the Lord our God

The oppressors cruel smile will turn to trembling
when he looks up at the cross
to see who his victim was.

PSALM 96 Unity in worship

Psalm 96:1 NIV Sing to the LORD a new song;
       Sing to the Lord all the earth.

The call to worship is to all nations.

Psalm 96:3 NIV Declare his glory among the nations
       his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

The worship of God is to be universal.
This Psalm is attributed to David ( 1st Chronicles 16:23-33 )
this Psalm of David is most inclusive
and is not at all exclusive.

Psalm 96:7 NIV Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations
       ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Psalm 96: 9 NIV Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness
       tremble before him, all the earth.

The vision of this psalm is of sweet unambiguous unity
in which individuals have really pledged their obedience and loyalty
to the Lord our God.
By definition, all who truly stand in the same obedience and loyalty
are in most joyful unity.

PSALM 95 Verse 11

Psalm 95:11 NIV
So I declared an oath in my anger,
"They shall never enter my rest"
     =                  =              =
                      Why?
Psalm 95:10 NIV
They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they have not known my ways.
Psalm 95:10 NLT
They are a people whose hearts turn away from me
they refuse to do what I tell them.

The thing about turning away from God is, that by not listening
and not doing what was right, they never actually came to put
His ways into practice.
By never practicing His ways
they were not familiar with God's ways.
They never developed Godly habits and practices
and so did not develop into grace filled children of God.

Psalm 62:5 NIV
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone.

PSALM 95 Verses 5 and 6

Before our Creator.
Our relationship with God our Creator
is expressed by the psalmist in Psalm 95

Psalm 95:5-6 NIV
5  The sea is his, for he made it
         and his hands formed the dry land.
6  Come, let us bow down in worship
         let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

I believe in one God, the Father almighty
     maker of heaven and earth
     of all things visible and invisible.....

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ.......
     through him all things were made.

I believe in the Holy Spirit , the Lord, the giver of life...

The attitude of the individual believer is totally personal, when,
as the Lord's creature, he turns his own heart towards the
tender love of his creator. We stand in the Love of the Lord.
Come, let us bow down in worship
    let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

PSALM 95 Verses 1 and 2

Psalm 95:1-2 NIV
Come , let us sing for joy to the LORD;
       let us shout aloud to the Rock of our Salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving
       and extol him with music and song.

In the wholehearted prayer described in Psalm 95:1-2
we are invited to throw ourselves into exuberant ,
heartfelt expression of our joy in His presence
and fully express our thankfulness, in music and song.
It is clearly not appropriate to participate half-heartedly
in public worship and praise.

Psalm 22:3 AV
But thou art holy, O Thou
     that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

1 John 2:27 NLT
But you have received the Holy Spirit,
and He lives within you,
so you don't need anyone to teach you what is true;--
For the Spirit teaches you all things,
and what he teaches is true.
So continue in what he taught you,
and continue to live in Christ.

PSALM 93-94-95 Consequences

Psalm 93 speaks to us of the kingship of The Lord Our God
and causes us to reflect on His authority in our own lives and
His hand in the destiny of our nation.
Exudus 12:41 says that the Israelites were in Egypt 430 years.
Jeremiah 29:10 shows that the Israelites had 70 years of
captivity in Babylon
.
Psalm 95:10  For forty years I was angry with that generation.

40 YEARS ! That means that of those who entered the promised land,
nobody under 40 had known Egypt and of the rest, most would
 have been children when they left Egypt !
So the nation which turns away from God
may see serious long lasting consequences .

Psalm 94:10
Today if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts 
as you did at Meribah
Does he who disciplines nations not punish ?

Abortion, Adultery, Gambling, Immorality and Perversion,
is a short list of things which add up to rejection of God.

PSALM 93 MY KING

The LORD reigns   Ps. 93

In Majesty God is powerfully enthroned.

Because of His rule ( as King )

the threat of enemies is put into perspective.

We get a lot more than a general notion of well being.

Our gracious ruler manages and reigns very well.

He provides for us, protects the weak,

and intervenes for the helpless.

It is He who;-

            who executes justice for the oppressed

            who gives food to the hungry                Ps 147:7

God does and so do the godly people.

There is a Jewish blessing for when you see anything of great beauty.

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe,

who has such beauty in Your World.

 Christians who have experienced the life changing power of God

in their own lives, can testify to the Sovereign power of the King of Kings,

our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Psalm 93:1 ESV

The LORD reigns, he is robed in majesty; 

the LORD is robed; he has put on strength as his belt.

Psalm 43:7 ESV

For God is the King of all the earth

              sing praises with a psalm!

Psalm 92:2 ESV

Sing to the LORD, bless his name;

tell of his salvation from day to day.

Psalm 96:7 ESV

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,

ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!

The people who can testify to the power of the living God

are the people who have experienced it personally

and are therefore motivated to tell of His salvation

from day to day.

I once was lost but now I'm found........

My chains fell off and now I'm free........

Into Thy freedom gladness and light......

                                                            Jesus, I come to Thee.
There is a past tense, present tense and future tense to our witness
because our King continues to reign in our hearts
and in our circumstances.
We are an up to date witness to the power of God
in our day..........
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world
rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom.          James 2:5 KJV

What we have heard and know,
what our ancestors have told us
we shall not conceal from their descendants,
but will tell to a generation still to come:     Psalm 78:3 NJB

Our ancestors, John Newton, Charles Wesley and William T.Sleeper
bear witness with us
to the sovereign power and majesty
of the Lord of lords and King of kings.

PSALM 92 Spiritual Victory

Psalm 91:8 NLT
But you will see it with your eyes:
       you will see how the wicked are punished.
Psalm 92:7 NLT
Although the wicked flourish like weeds
       and evildoers blossom with success
       there is only eternal destruction ahead of them.
Psalm 92:9 NLT
Your enemies, LORD, will surely perish;
       all evildoers will be scattered.
Psalm 92:11 NLT
With my own eyes I have seen the downfall
       of my enemies;
With my own ears I have heard the defeat 
       of my wicked opponents.

Psalm 92 is a song of VICTORY for God's people
The wicked and evildoers are destroyed.
Enemies perish.
Evildoers are scattered.
Adversaries are defeated
and wicked foes are routed!

Psalm 92 talks of God's people as;-
       those who live in the shelter of the Most High
          and who find rest in the shadow of the Almighty
There is the promise in verse 10 that;-
          if you make the LORD your refuge and
          if you make the Most High your shelter
          no evil will conquer you.
We know now (in the light of the  New Testament )
          that our empowerment for spiritual victory
          arises in the triune nature of our God.
Acts 1:8 NLT
When the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
          you will receive power.......
Romans 5:5 NLT
For we know how dearly God loves us,
          because he has given us the Holy Spirit
          to fill our hearts with his love.
1st Corinthians 12:4 NLT
now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts,
       but it is the same Holy Spirit
       who is the source of them all.
Galatians 5:22-23 NLT
when the Holy Spirit controls our lives,
       he will produce this kind of fruit in us;
       love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
       faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Psalm 92:14 NLT
Even in old age they will still produce fruit .

PSALM 91 Dwelling in the help of the Highest

Knox Translation from the Latin Vulgate

Psalm 91 : 14-16

      He trusts in me,

                    mine it is to rescue him;

      he acknowledges my name,

                    from me he shall have protection;

      when he calls upon me,

                    I will listen

      in affliction,

                    I am at his side, to bring him safety and honour.

      Length of days he shall have to content him

                    and find in me deliverance.

These are God's thoughts about you, me, each of us

who trust in him, who acknowledge his name,

who call upon Him.     He is at our side.

Praying the psalms makes us open

to let the word of God inform and transform us.

Singing the Psalms together is charismatic.

"Charismatic" because it is one to one in the Spirit,

with no intermediary,....... no choirmaster,

no worship leader and nobody to tell us what to think....

just our heart alive in the Spirit,  in the presence of God

by the grace of our Lord Jesus.

From our experience of prayer

some knowledge of God transpires.

    This translation of these verses reveals 

the very personal relationship which God has with each of us.

Through our praying of this Psalm and singing it,
our own experience of God's protective love for us
is felt and felt more deeply.
This is one of the psalms for which the process of
Lectio Divina can be most powerful.

Repeating the lines which speak of God's loving
attitude towards us, to ponder on that, to feel it
and internalize it deeply, touches our souls and
we realize that we can be lifted up in the hands of angels,
and we will be !
We will be lifted up in the hands of angels.

In the meantime,
in the length of days we shall be given,
we take refuge in the God in whom we find deliverance,
in whose shelter we have learned to trust.
We live in the shelter of  The Most High .
We abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
We say to the Lord;-
      "My refuge and my fortress
       my God in whom I trust."

PSALM 91 At one with the angels of God

Psalm 91  RSV
5    You will not fear the terror of the night
              nor the arrow that flies by day
6     nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
              nor the destruction that wastes at noonday
7     A thousand may fall at your side,
              ten thousand at your right hand.

Soldiers in the First World War referred to Psalm 91
as "The Trench Psalm" because they were experiencing
danger, and terror and destruction !
Thousands did fall by their sides !
and tens of thousands close by !

In prosperous countries, in peacetime,
such physical violence and danger
is not the experience of churchgoers.
We may be fortunate enough to be separated from
these experiences by many years or by many miles
 ( in 2014 civilians are victims of military conflict in many countries).
BUT .....
There is still only one body of Christ !
and true members of the body of Christ
identify with those in pain, in danger and suffering.

Psalm 91:11  RSV
For he will give his angels charge over you
       to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up...........

To day true members of the body of Christ
are one with the angels of God
in guarding the afflicted in all their ways.
Psalm 91 tells us what is the Godly thing to do.

Psalm 91:15 RSV
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble
I will rescue him and honor him.

This "rescue and honor" applies to refugees from violence anywhere.....
Hungry people, homeless people, oppressed and dispossessed
are our neighbours.
And when it comes to healthcare, education and security,
there is only one class of person.
We all have one God,and one Creator and
there is one Saviour for us all.....Jesus Christ.
When we realize that our actions or attitudes fail to reflect God's truth,
in Christ we find forgiveness and grace to live in harmony with his will
and loving purpose for us....
Then we can unite with the angels of God in our actions
 to guard the children of his creation in all their ways
and to bear them up in our hands.

PSALM 90 Some Last Things

Psalm 90 has been part of preparation for death
               for millions of Christians.
Preparing for a good death has been , in every century
               except our own, an acceptable goal in life.

Psalm 90:1
KJV         
 LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
NLT 
 LORD, through all generations you have been our home.
GNB TEV
Lord you have always been our home.

The names, titles and epithetes for the Lord our God,
are both numerous and interesting,
Psalm 90 gives us " Eternal Home"

Hymn No 878 in the
Methodist Hymnbook
From Psalm 90
By Isaac Watts 1674- 1748

O God, our help in ages past                    
Our hope for years to come                      
Our shelter from the stormy blast,              
And our eternal home.                                

Psalm 90:12 KJV
.....teach us to number our days,
That we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 NLT
Teach us to make the most of our time
so that we may grow in wisdom.

In the first line.....the numbering of our days is about
making the best use of our time.
The second line is about spiritual growth,
not just about accumulating knowledge,
but applying our hearts to the revealed truth
and growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord

The first word of verse 12 in each of these translations
is ;- "Teach us"  It is a prayer in which we are asking our Lord
to teach us to make what He considers  is the best use
of the time he is giving us.
      We might ask the Lord to show us where we have made
 the best use of our time----this morning, this week so far,
in the last year and in recent years.
      When we come to see what has been most pleasing
 to the Lord, that might effect our motivation for this afternoon
and to-morrow, for the coming year and for life ahead.
If we have time, we might ask the Lord how to make
the best use of our time..............................................

PSALM 89 TRINITY

2 Sam 7: 13/14 RSV
....and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
14  I will be his father, and he shall be my son.

This is prophecy that Yahweh is father of the king of the eternal kingdom.

Psalm 89: 26/27  RSV
He shall cry to me, "Thou art my Father, my God and 
the Rock of my salvation" And I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the Kings of the earth.

Although this verse referred to David
we know that Jesus is the firstborn, the true Son of God.

Psalm 2:7 RSV
I will tell of the decree of Yahweh: He said to me,
"You are my son, today I have begotten you"

Hebrews 1:5 RSV
For to what angel did God ever say,
"Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee"? 

PSALM 88 Nightprayer

Psalm 88:1-2 NRSV
O LORD, God of my salvation,
When, at night I cry out in your presence,
let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry.

"incline your ear" suggests a child whispering to a parent,
as in a personal relationship.
In Psalm 88, the address "O LORD, God of My salvation"
really implies reverence and awe.
"I cry out in your presence" suggests that the psalmist
is experiencing an awareness of the divine presence.

Psalm 88:13 NRSV
But I, O LORD, cry out to you
in the morning my prayer comes before you.

The words "cry out before you", imply a most earnest,
heartfelt, reaching out to God in prayer.

People who have prayed through the darkness of war
have been glad to give thanks for the daylight of peace.
The  overnight prayer of anguish can become prayer of relief
in the morning, but that is not always the way.
If we listen we will hear our Lord speak peace into the new day.
.

PSALM 86:11 Fear Thy Name

Psalm 86:11 ESV  Teach me your way, O LORD,
           that I may walk in your truth:
           unite my heart to fear your name.

Psalm 86:11  Coverdale Psalter
Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in truth:
O knit my heart unto thee, that I may fear thy name.

When we pray Ps86:11 ,in our heart we might be praying
that our heart may be more united with the heart of Jesus.
and that our will be more in harmony with the will of our Father.
We need to receive the teaching of God's word in scripture
We also need to be taught by the Holy Spirit so that we may
discern both God's will and our Duty in every circumstance.

On swearing the oath in court , Almighty God is addressed.
and in His presence people will speak having sworn to speak
only the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Our own experience shows that in reverence and awe
we are more aware of the Lord's presence.
So we can echo the psalmist's prayer
           "Unite my heart to fear thy Name"

PSALM 85 God will speak

When we are spoken to;-  information is conveyed
                                         and feelings are expressed!
And we hear because we are listening.
Psalm 85:8 ESV
Let me hear what God the LORD will speak
     for he will speak peace to his people........
God the LORD will speak peace into our lives
and through us into our communities.
They will know we are Christians by our love.
Psalm 85:10 ESV
Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
     righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Families prosper where love and faithfulness meet.
Psalm 85:12 ESV
Yes, the LORD will give what is good,
    and our land will yield it's increase.
We will prosper in the peace of the LORD.
Lands have a chance to prosper in times of peace.
Communities and families of love and faithfulness
prosper in righteousness and peace.

Let us pray that all men may hear what God will speak.
                                         

PSALM 84 Living in the Love of God

Psalm 84:1-2 ESV
How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs,yes, faints for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

The psalmist knows and appreciates the presence of God.
His soul longs and faints....and his heart and flesh sing for joy!
So he is talking about something much more than an academic
understanding.
Also there is no cerebral heartless dogma crushing his spirit.
In expressing his feelings, what he is sharing with the reader
is his own genuine experience of living in the love of God.

Psalm 84:3 ESV
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars , O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.

The love which motivates two people to want to be together in marriage,
 is closely related to the love which unites the three persons of the Trinity.
A family in the love of the Trinity is a biological reality, encompassed by
social cohesion in a union which involves  attraction and commitment.
This family is an entity in the community which forms the body of Christ.

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

Joshua 24:15 KJV
.......as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Psalm 84:5  ESV
Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.

Psalm 84:12 ESV
O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you !

The gentle presence of God enfolds us,
and always has enfolded us.
But now may we be drawn more and more
into loving awareness of  dwelling in  Your presence,
to be more consciously  trusting in You
and more and more may we find our strength in You.

Psalm 84:10 ESV
For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the 
house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
                                                               AMEN.

PSALM 83 Awareness

God's people can tell when things are not right.
Others don't even notice.
In Psalm 83, the psalmist expresses heart felt prayer
because he is aware that forces are attempting to undermine all that is good.
Psalm 83:1-4  NIV
O God, do not keep silent, be not quiet, O God, be not still.
See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads.
With cunning they conspire against your people;
they plot against those you cherish.
"Come," they say,"let us destroy them as a nation
that the name of Israel be remembered no more."

Governments in the West have reduced restrictions on the sale of alcohol .
They have permitted "social use" of drugs.
They have reduced restrictions on gambling .
They have enacted legislation which has led to the breakdown of the family
and damaged the institution of marriage while  increasing adultery and divorce.
      People of ill intent , in politics and in the media
      mock all that is wholesome and decent.
      They conspire to discredit good people and good organisations .
Those in authority have permitted false religions to flourish
while Christian institutions have been undermined by
"politically correct" --anti Christian regulations.
     True Christians are aware just how far the media has gone
to undermine everything clean and decent .
Yet others don't seem to notice how Un-Christian the media has become.
      This psalm underscores the need, to-day, for Christians
to live reflected, contemplative lives and to be guided by the Spirit of God
to be aware and to pray. The psalmist did so.
He prays that God will act against the wicked;-
in urgent defense  of God's people,
and to cause the wicked to reform their behaviour .

Psalm 83:16-17 ESV
Fill their faces with shame;
    that they may seek your name, O LORD.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;
    let them perish in disgrace,
that they may know that you alone,
    whose name is the LORD,
    are the Most High over all the earth.

The wicked hate God
Psalm 83:2 ESV
For behold, your enemies make an uproar;
those who hate you raise their heads.

The wicked hate his people
Psalm 34:21 ESV
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned

While many worldly folk have no interest in God, it is self
evident that those who actually hate God and hate the righteous
are not guided by the Holy Spirit. They live in a darker dynamic
They persecute and oppress God's people, imprisoning Christians
taking hostages and abducting the righteous, bombing churches
and killing believers
Believers who practice Christian discernment are aware that
hatred of God and the people of God,
is indicative of  those who have chosen evil ways.

PSALM 82:3-4

Psalm 82:3-4 NIV
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless
     maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed
Rescue the weak and the needy;
     deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Since Christ lives within us
we identify with the afflicted in a Christlike way.
                                                           see Romans 8:10

Since we are guided by the Spirit of God
we can , in love, do the best for people
according to their need.                        see Romans 8:14

Since we are strengthened with power through His Spirit
in the inner man, we are able to share the love of Christ
in deed and word.
                                                            see  Ephesians 3:14-19
Just as we recognize Christ in the hungry
the housebound, the weak and the needy,
we become Christ to the needy and afflicted
when our own lifestyle fulfills all we are called to in Psalm 82:3-4

In the Spirit,
contemplatives become social workers
and social workers become contemplative.

PSALM 82 Sons of the Most High

We realize our spiritual potential to the measure in which
we are raised towards God and united with Him.
No one can become God.
Yet because Jesus Christ is God Incarnate,
our motivation to aspire to the divine nature is a possibility .
Our new life in Christ causes a recreation of our nature.
It is a work of the Spirit which requires our lifetime's cooperation.

Psalm 82:1 & 6 NIV
1    God presides in the great assembly
              he gives judgment among the "gods"
6    I said, " You are gods
              you are all sons of the Most High.

Being "born of God" makes us "sons of the Most High"

Galatians 3:26  NIV
You are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Matthew 23:9 KJV
call no man father upon earth
one is your Father which is in heaven.

Galatians 4:6 KJV 
    God hath sent forth the Spirit  of his Son into your hearts.

Romans 8:14 NJB
    All who are guided by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Romans 8:14 NRSV
    For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Romans 8:10 NLB
    Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die
    the Spirit will bring you to eternal life.

Ephesians 3:14-19 NASB
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on the earth derives its name,
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the length and the height and the depth,
and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 4:4-6 NKJV
4   There is one body and one Spirit,
     just as you were called in one hope of your calling
5   one Lord, and one faith, one baptism;
6   one God and Father of all, who is above all
    and through all , and in you all.

"God within us" # "The indwelling presence"# "The sons of the Most High"#

PSALM 81 God Our Strength

Every time we tell what the Lord has done for us
we remember His power.
Every time we sing of  "God our Strength"
we remember His strength.
Psalm 28:7  NIV
     The LORD is my strength and my shield;
     my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
     My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

Psalm 29:11  NIV
     The LORD gives strength to his people with peace.

Psalm 59:17 NIV
     You are my strength, I sing praise to you;
     You are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.

Psalm 73:26 NIV
     My flesh and my heart may fail , but God is the strength
     of my heart and my portion forever .

Psalm 81: 1  NIV
     Sing for joy to God our strength.

PSALM 80 Voice of the Martyrs

Psalm 80 verse 4     addresses the LORD God of Hosts
" how long ? "         is the cry of the martyr.
The voice of the individual suffering righteous person
who cries out to God.
The suffering of the martyr is a life poured out in sacrifice.
The suffering of an individual person is a kind of participation
in the shed blood of the Lamb.
"the outpoured blood of your servants" (Psalm 79:10)
 is the blood of the martyrs.
"Suffering servants" are Christlike and a witness to the world.
MARTYRDOM
Psalm 44:22 KJV
   Yea, for thy sake are we killed all day long;
   we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Down the centuries, the wicked have chosen to display
the loveless evil of false religion
by burning churches and killing God's people.

-------------------------------------------------------------

PALM 80 Life in the Trinity

The psalmists cry "Restore us" (psalm 80:19) indicates the psalmists awareness
of the personal and corporate need for continuing conversion
and continual spiritual renewal.
That is continual help by the Spirit to develop gracious selfless lives.
In psalm 78:52 the psalmist indicates that he is aware of the need to be
"guided through" by the Spirit of God.

The person who lives dynamically his love for God the Father,
The person who chooses to be led by the Holy Spirit,
The person who sees all men with the eyes of Christ,
The person whose speech and action exudes the love of Christ,
lives in the dynamic of the Holy Trinity.

Psalm 80:17 NIV
Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand
the  son of man you have raised up for yourself.

Reference is made here to the" Son of Man" who we recognize
as our Lord  Jesus who God raised up and now sits
at the right hand of God the Father.
We have life in the Trinity.
The psalmist has life in the Trinity.

PSALM 79 God for us

Psalms 78,79 and 80 reveal something of the nature of God.
God is our Deliverer and Saviour , physically and spiritually.
Psalm 79:9 NIV
Help us, O God our Saviour
   for the glory of your name
deliver us and forgive our sins
   for your name's sake.

According to the faith of the psalmist,
God helps us, saves us, delivers us and forgives us!
God also restores us!

Psalm 80:19 NIV
Restore us , O Lord God Almighty

Psalm 80: 1 NIV
....you who sit enthroned between the cherubims,
shine forth.

God who is enthroned between the cherubims
is also God with us.
Mat 28:20 I am with you always to the end of the age.

PSALM 78 To whom we turn

The God, before whom we walk and to whom we turn in prayer
is described by the psalmist in Psalms 78, 79 and 80.
The God who leads and guides us is always active.

Psalm 78:52 NLT  he led his own people like a flock of sheep
                     guiding them safely through the wilderness.

Psalm 78:24 NASB  He rained down manna upon them to eat
                     And gave them food from heaven.
HE IS THE GOD WHO PROVIDES

Psalm 78:38 KJV  But he, being full of compassion,
                               forgave their iniquity.
That is our God--FULL OF COMPASSION.
THE GOD WHO FORGIVES IS OUR TEACHER
AND  HE WANTS US TO LISTEN TO HIM.
Psalm 78:1 ESV  Give ear, O my people, to my teaching:
                             incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

The God to whom we turn, before whom we walk
is actively our shepherd, leading and guiding us.
He provides for us. He is full of compassion and He forgives us.
He is our teacher and calls us to listen to him.

PSALM 78 Joy of the angels

Psalm 78 has 72 verses in which God's people are addressed,
given God's teaching and given responsibility to
"tell the coming generation" (Psalm 78:42)
People need to know what God has done for them
in order to convince succeeding generations.
It is not good enough for the next generation
to be " left to it ".
We give our personal testimony of what God has done for us
and in doing so, we remember His power. (Psalm 78:42 )
Neither should we forget that "God is our Rock and that
God Most High is our Redeemer  (Psalm 78:35)

With all this constantly in mind.......
With all this in our heart as well as in our head.......
With all the aids to discernment we receive
     from spiritual reading and contemplation.......
With all the comfort, support and inspiration
     we find in prayer......
We share the joy of the angels
over each fellow creature drawn to God..

PSALM 78 Remember You are Redeemed

We can be redeemed from self indulgence, self-centredness
and all sorts of self induced strife.
2nd Corinthians 5:17-19 NIV
.....if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation,
the old has gone, the new has come.

Psalm 78:35 NIV
They remembered that God was their Rock
and that God most High was their redeemer.
 Some failed to remember .
Psalm 78:42
They did not remember his power
the day he redeemed them from the oppressor.
 The consequences of forgetting God's Power
forgetting that God Most High is our redeemer
is given in;-
Psalm 81:12 NIV
So I gave them over to their stubborn  hearts
to follow their own devices.
We remember that God is our Rock
and that God Most High is our Redeemer.

PSALM 77 You are Redeemed

Psalm 77:15 NIV
With your mighty arm you redeemed your people

Psalm 77:20 NIV
You led your people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

Psalm 78:70-72 NIV
He chose David his servant
and took him from the sheep pens;
from tending sheep he brought him
to be the shepherd of his people Jacob,
of Israel his inheritance.
And David shepherded them with integrity of heart;
with skillful hands he led them.

Isaiah 44:22 NIV
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you:
I have summoned you by name: you are mine.

Isaiah 44:22 NIV  I have swept away your offences like a cloud,
your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me, for I have redeemed you.

PSALM 76:9 Lifestyle of the blessed

Psalm 76:9
NLT  You stand up to judge those who do evil, O God.
          and to rescue the oppressed of the earth.

NIV  when you, O God, rose up to judge
         to save all the afflicted of the land.

NASB    When God arose to judgement
               to save all the humble of the earth.

When we allow the words of the psalms to influence our thoughts
we are disposed to make better choices .

Psalm 1:1  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the
                  counsel of the wicked.

Psalm 128:1  Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
                       who walk in his ways.

Psalm 41:1  Blessed is he who has regard for the weak. 

We can choose the lifestyle that is pronounced blessed
and adopt the lifestyle of the blessed.........
rescue the oppressed , save the afflicted,  save the humble,
fear the LORD, have regard for the weak.

PSALM 75 Discern the voices of the wicked

Psalm 75 NASB v4 I said to the boastful "Do not boast"
                                 And to the wicked "Do not lift up your horn"
                            v5 " Do not lift up your horn on high
                                 Do not speak with insolent pride"

The boastful raise themselves up like rams with threatening horns.
It is noticeable,  we should beware.

Psalm 12 NASB v2 They speak falsehood to one another.
                                 With flattering lips and double heart they speak.

Psalm 62 NASB v4 .....They delight in falsehood;
                                 They bless with their mouth
                                 But inwardly curse
.
The wicked praise their ill gotten gains.

Psalm 49 NASB v6  Even those who trust in their wealth
                                  And boast in the abundance of their riches.

It is always necessary to review our own motives and behaviour
to know which voices we are listening to and acting upon.
Young people who practice discernment personally,
are able to make better choices and are less likely
to be taken in by the unscrupulous .  

PSALM 74:12-17 Proclaim the mighty works of God

When we read aloud or sing Psalm 74:12-17 , we are telling
( all who can hear ) and proclaiming the mighty works of God.

The psalmist instructs us to do this in Psalm 66:3 NASB
Say to God, " How awesome are Your works !

In Psalm 71  (Ps 70 in the SAAR translation)
The psalmist asks for time...
v18....until I proclaim Your arm to every coming generation
          Yes Your mighty deeds and Your righteousness.
v19    O God I proclaim the magnificent things You did
          Even to the highest heaven;

In Psalm 145:4-5-6 we find prophecy that this will happen;
4   One generation will commend your works to another,
            they will tell of your mighty acts.
5   They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
            and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
6   They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
            and I will proclaim your great deeds.

Revelation 15:3 indicates that those who proclaim the mighty works of God
(in spirit and truth) are one in eternity with Moses, the Lamb
and the angels of God !!
Revelation 15:3 KJV.....on the sea of glass, having harps of God
3   And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God,
     and the song of the Lamb, saying
     Great and marvellous are your works,
     Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways.

Psalm 74:12-17 NASB
12   Yet God is my king from old,
       Who works deeds of deliverance in the midst of the earth
13   You divided the sea by Your strength;
       You  broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
14   You crushed the heads of the Leviathan;
       You gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15   You broke open spring and torrents;
       You dried up ever flowing streams.
16   Yours is the day. Yours is the night;
       You have prepared the light and the sun.
17   You have established all the boundaries of the earth;
       You have made summer and winter.

We might produce our own 12 line proclamation of the mighty works of God.
Our personal list of God,s works might include what God has done for us
in New Testament times and in our own experience.
It is valuable to listen to what God has done for others, because
what He has done for others He can do for you.
What you share may reach people in distant places and distant times !

PSALM 74:8 The landscape in which Christians stand

Psalm 74:8  Their kindred said in their heart together
        "Come let us abolish all the feasts of God on earth"

In the U.K. the observance of the Sabbath day has been undermined.
Legislation has caused high retail activity on Sundays.
Relaxation of licencing laws has opened up the sale of alcohol,
sports meetings , betting shops and casinos .
Many people now have to work on Sundays.
Good Friday is now a busy day at shopping precincts in the U.K.

The media has played a major part in "Pushing back the boundaries"
"Norms" of social behaviour on T.V. now fall below standards which
used to be taken for granted. Scripture is contradicted in parliament,
in court and in schools ; and secularists claim that their values should
be accepted by everyone.

Christians are aware of these things and we understand that declining
standards and decadence do not arise out of innocent or wholesome
motives or worthwhile aspirations.
1st Peter 2:9 ESV   But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you.....
v10     .....now you are God's people.
Standing like rocks in a stream, individual Christians form a worldwide community;-
the body of Christ. 

PSALM 74:7 God's dwelling place

Psalm 74:7 SAAR
They burned down Your sanctuary
they defiled the tabernacle of Your name to the ground.

Ancient churches in Aleppo have been burned and bombed recently.

Psalm 74:4 ESV
Your foes have roared in the midst of your meeting place
they set up their own signs for signs.

All over the U.K. a noticeable proportion of church buildings have been
converted into bingo halls, night clubs, restaurants, and warehouses.
Some have been made into apartments and many have been demolished
 and redeveloped while others stand in disrepair.
But no one needs to be despondent about desecrated , delapsed or
destroyed buildings.

1 Peter 2:5 NLT
   now God is building you as living stones
          into his spiritual temple.
1st Corinthians 3:16 ESV
Do you not know that you are God's temple
and that God's Spirit dwells in You ?

PSALM 74 Engaged with the needy

Psalm 74 is a believers prayer for poor and afflicted people,
for all afflicted by persecution,
for those afflicted by poverty,
for all those afflicted by poor health,
and for the protection of those ministering to them in the love of God;-
the care workers, relief workers, missionaries involved in both
outreach and relief work.

Psalm 74:19 NASB
Do not deliver the soul of Your turtledove to the wild beast.
Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
Psalm 74:19 KJV
O deliver not the soul of thy turtledove into the 
multitude of the wicked.
Forget not the congregation of thy poor for ever.

The turtledove was the sacrifice of the poor.
If relief workers are sacrificing themselves for the poor and needy,
this prayer is for the deliverance of the relief workers
who are in effect "God's turtle doves".
By bringing good advice and understanding to those who need to be
delivered from debt, dependency and homelessness, "God's turtle  doves"
are easily discerned from those in society and politics who speak with
the voice of the anti-Christ. 

PSALM 74 Prophecy of understanding

We pray and sing psalm 74.
not to inform God about problems with the wicked.
Psalm 74 provides the reader and psalm singer
with information, inspiration and understanding.

Psalm 74 and 78 are prophetic
and speak to " Children yet unborn " (Psalm 78:6 ESV)
According to the footnotes to this psalm in the
Orthodox SAAS translation ;-
Psalm 74 is a prophecy of understanding and
psalm 78 concerns understanding.

Psalm 74 has some descriptive names for;-
               Who we are in God
v19  Your afflicted people        NIV and NLT
v1    Sheep of your pasture      NIV and NASB
v2    Your congregation            NASB
v19  your dove                          NIV
v19  your turtledove                 NASB and NKJV
v19  the congregation of thy poor              KJV

So it is quite scriptural to pray to God as His afflicted people, as sheep of His pasture
as His congregation , or as the congregation of His poor. 

PSALM 73:28 God's Love

Psalm 73:28  The Psalms of David  ( Church of Scotland )

28     But surely it is good for me

                that I draw near to God:

         In God I Trust, that all thy works

                I may declare abroad.

The trust mentioned here is more than a vague hope.

The trust is that the will of God for me

is the most wholesome thing possible

and that anything else falls short.

Being utterly convinced of this

we eagerly seek to know and to do the will of God.

Psalm 73:28 Good News Bible

28     But as for me, how wonderful to be near God,

              to find protection with the Sovereign Lord

         and to proclaim all that he has done !

But the psalmist has found a lot more than security

and protection: He has found faith and trust  in the Lord,

faith and trust in the will of God.

In fact he has found faith and trust in the love of God

and in all the actions of the God who is his counselor,

enough to say.....

                          surely goodness and mercy

will follow me all my days......and I will live

in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 73: 28 New Catholic Version

As for me, my happiness is to be near God,

      and I have made the Lord my refuge

I will proclaim all your works

      at the gates of the Daughters of Zion.

There is a prayer of thanksgiving -- for all God has done

and a proclamation of faith and oneness in God's purposes

a prayer of humility recognizing every other person 

to be God's creation---

a fellow creature in God's love.

1 John 4:15-16 New International Version

15    If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,

        God lives in him and he in God.

16    And so we know and rely on the love of God for us.

        God is love

        Whoever lives in love lives in God

         and God in him.

Now we eagerly seek and to do the love of God.

PSALM 73:27 The Perishing

Psalm 73:27  The New Jerusalem Bible
Truly, those who abandon you will perish.

People who give their lives over to the wrong things
put themselves at risk. Verse 2 illustrates how it is possible
to stumble by focusing on the success of the wicked and
falling into envy.
The New Testament perspective is given in
2nd Corinthians 14-16 ESV
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us
in triumphal procession, and through us spreads 
the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
For we are the aroma of Christ to God
among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing.

Those who never turn to him for guidance,
 are not among those who are being led by him. 

PSALM 73:26 INNER STRENGTH in your inner being.

Psalm 73:26  Good News Bible
My mind and my body may grow week,
     but God is my strength;
     he is all  ever need.

Psalm 73:26  English Standard Version
My flesh and my heart may fail,
       but God is the strength of my heart
       and my portion for ever.

In the New Testament, Paul is inspired
to give the same testimony as David.

2nd Corinthians 4
.......though our outer self is wasting away,
       our inner self is being renewed every day.
.......For the things that are seen are transient
       but the things that are unseen are eternal.

The Christian believer has an "inner self" and an  "inner life"
The inner self enjoys an ongoing relationship with the living God,
who is forever the source of his inner strength.
Note Pauls prayer for believers in Ephesians 3:16 KJV
      "That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory,
         to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.
Ephesians 3:16 ESV
       "that according to the riches of his glory he might grant you
         to be strengthened with power through his Spirit
         in your inner being.......

PSALM 73:25 One Counsellor

The Psalms of David in Metre  ( Church of Scotland )
Ps 73:25
               Whom have I in heavens high
                 but thee, O LORD, alone ?

In the early 60s I thought that " living by the gun"was an expression
which described behaviour in black and white cowboy films.
Now so many live and die by the gun, not just in Somalia, Syria
and Sudan but in  South America and even in the USA.
Where do people put their trust ?...in money ? in guns?
in the media ?  in commentators and celebrities?

Psalm 73:24
while we who live in the counsel of the living God
are received into Glory.

PSALM 73:24 Divine Counsel

Psalm 73:24a   New Catholic Version
   You guide me with your counsel,......

God gives his servant wisdom and insight ( counsel ).

The person who dynamically lives his love for God
who chooses to be led by the Spirit of Christ
whose speech and action exudes the love of Christ
will enjoy Christian awareness, Christian perceptions,
Christian emotions, Christian desires, Christian energies,
Christian commitments, Christian actions and Christian habits.

Psalm 73:23b  New Catholic Version
.....and afterward you will receive me into glory.

Psalm 16:11 New Catholic version
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 psalmist could not have known that God so loved the world
that he would give his only son that everyone who believes in him
may not perish but may have eternal life.
However the self revelation of God to the psalmist led him to long
never to be separated from the LORD our God.

PSALM 73:22-23 Walking with the King

Psalm 73:22-23 NCV

22   I was stupid and unable to comprehend-

       like a brute beast in your presence'

A dangerous animal has to be violently controlled.

i.e. not sensitive to being lead by the hand.

23   Yet I am always with you, you grasp me by the right hand.

The experience of the presence of God changes the 

whole context of our existence and of our daily living .

The experience of anguish is transformed into

the joy of God's presence .

see psalm 63:8-9

8    For you are my help......

9    My soul clings tightly to you;

      your right hand holds me fast.

The person who chooses to live in the presence of God....
  who chooses to live in the present moment with Jesus as Lord and Saviour,

  who chooses to live with Master Jesus as constant companion and spiritual director,

  is walking with the King.

PSALM 73:21 Pray

Psalm 73:21 Good News Bible
When my thoughts were bitter
and my feelings were hurt.
Not a good time to make decisions !
Bitter thoughts and hurt feelings do not arise out of love.
We always need to ask ;-
Am I moved by the spirit of the lie ?
Am I moved by the spirit of fallen flesh ?
Am I moved by a humanist spirit ?
OR, Am I moved by the Spirit of Christ ?

PSALM 73:20 In Perspective

Psalm 73:20 New Revised Standard Version
They are like a dream when one awakes;
on awaking you despise their phantoms.
Most commercial advertisements invite you,
one way or the other, to live the dream;-
     by spending a lot of money on a dream holiday,
     by spending a lot of money on your dream home,
 or by spending a lot of money on a dream car.
Few advertisements invite you to live in the wholesome truth
      of the love and will of our Lord Jesus.
When one awakes to the truth, the "fairground prizes"
which the world offers,are seen in perspective.
It is a matter of choice for which one requires discernment. 

PSALM 73:19 Informed Choice

The wicked are on a course to self destruction.
Where did they make the wrong choices ?.
Let,s look at John 6:27 ESV;-
    Do not labour for food that perishes, but for food that endures
    to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.
    For on him God the Father has set his seal.

The wicked have chosen a course to destruction.
Let's look at John 14:15-17 ESV
      ....If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper
      to be with you forever,
17  even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive ,
      because it neither sees him nor knows him.
      You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 

The wicked have chosen self destruction
How could they have chosen life ?

John 3:16 ESV
    For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son
    that whoever believes in him should not perish
    but have eternal life.

Psalm 73:19 The Book of Common Prayer
    Oh how suddenly they do consume;
    perish, and come to a fearful end.

Psalm 73:19 The Grail Psalms
    How suddenly they come to their ruin
    wiped out, destroyed by terrors.

Psalm 73:19 Good News Bible
    They are instantly destroyed;
    they go down to a horrible end.

Having spent much of their lives putting their trust in their own wits,
mocking the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Holiness
ignoring the word of God and the will of God,
the people they have become....are going down to a horrible end.

Their only hope is to choose to accept personally the Deity of Christ
                     and to accept His saving grace
                            to be born again
                            to have New Life in Jesus Christ.

PSALM 73:18 Rescue

Psalm 73:18 Good News Bible
You will put them in slippery places
and make them fall to their destruction !

There is a sea of people who, daily, choose to cheat more,
steal more, gamble more and indulge themselves more at the
expense of others. How many evil choices did Hitler make
to bring himself and so many others to destruction ?

Can the individual believer play a beneficial role?
The psalmist promises to do so.

Psalm 51:13 NJB
I shall teach the wicked your paths
and sinners will return to you.

To-day the Christian believer is not powerless.
and has greater communication opportunities than ever.
We can share the gospel with every potential Hitler
on the internet.  

PSALM 73: 16-17 in God's perspective

If  someone brags to you that they successfully made a false claim on
their insurance ; Then you know that person is a cheat and a liar and
a thief. They have told you so. So discernment is common sense.
If in prayer you ask the Lord to reveal to you where your own words
or attitude fell short of the full glory of the LORD--this morning-- there
is a good chance that He will bring to mind a conversation or event in
which your action was not informed by the word of God and did not
fully display the love of Christ for all the people involved.
On the other hand he might show you where you didn't make the same
mistake as yesterday--One tiny step away from immaturity towards
Christian maturity  !

Psalm 73:16-17 NCV
16      When I tried to understand all this
          I found it too difficult for me.
17      until I entered the sanctuary of God
          and realized what their final end would be.

In prayer, in the presence of the living God
psalmist receives revelation.
A prayerful personal relationship with the LORD
allows the believer to receive the counsel of the LORD
and the LORD starts to put things in perspective for him.
And the believer begins to see things in God's perspective. 

PSALM 73:15 Responsability

Psalm 73:15 English Standard Version
If I had said "I will speak thus"
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

We have to be true to what we believe ourselves.
We also have some responsibility to the world wide church.
As a member of the body of Christ we serve Jesus the head of the body.
The psalmist would refrain from going along with worldly actions and attitudes
which he feels would betray and bring disgrace on the body of believers
and be detrimental to future generations of believers.
Every Christian needs to be able to practice Christian discernment
reguarding social and moral issues which are embraced by society.
The practice of less than Christian values with reguard to adultery
and divorce have betrayed a generation.
There are many other issues. In the U.K. deregulation of gambling
and deregulation of restrictions on the sale of alcohol have had
detremental  and harmful effects.
Members of the public who do not have a mental sense of what is right
and wrong , are vulnerable members of society.

PSALM 73:13-14 Personal Integrity

Psalm 73:13-14 English Standard Version
13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean
     and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been stricken
     and rebuked every morning.
In contrast to the arrogant who
5  are not stricken like the rest of mankind.

To-day the psalmist might have said
"While others cheated in their exams ...I was honest"
"While others cheated on the Tax .......I was honest"
"While others made false claims ....I kept my integrity"

PSALM 73:12 Moral Choices

Psalm 73:12 NCV
Such are the wicked
as they pile up wealth , without any concerns.

The New Jerusalem Bible puts verse  12 like this;-
12  that is what the wicked are like
      piling up wealth without any concerns.

It has always been so. The oppressor chooses his priorities
year after year. Profit increases at the expense
of third world communities.
Christians make moral choices day by day.

PSALM 73:10-11 Need for Discernment

Psalm 73: 10-11 New Catholic Version
10  So people blindly follow them
      and find nothing offensive in their words.
11  They say "How does God know?"
    "  Does the Most High notice anything ?"

From the point of view of ordinary people,
the wicked often seem to enjoy power, status,
wealth and prosperity without restriction.
But people who have the advantage of Christian discernment
can see that adultery is adultery whatever you call it.,
Deception,  fraud,  and misappropriation is recognized as stealing.
It is better to be able to distinguish  people of good repute,
people of no repute and people of ill repute.
Young people need to be aware.
Every young Christian leaving home for college or work
needs to be discerning, to be able to practice Christian discernment
in everyday life in order to make the best choices and decisions. 

PSALM 73:9 Discerning Reality

Psalm 73:9 New Jerusalem Bible
   Their mouth claims heaven for themselves
   and their tongue is never still on earth.

Matthew 15:11 English Standard Version
Hear and understand 11  it is not what goes into the mouth
that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth;
this defiles a person.

The social reality of "Original Sin" is obvious when you
look at the worldly world with eyes of faith.
Battered infants, abandoned spouses, governmental deception
official lying and such things do not arise out of  "goodness"

Psalm 73:9 Good News Bible
   They speak evil of God in heaven
   and give arrogant orders to men on earth.

Exodus 20:7 Good News Bible
   Do not use my name for evil purposes,For I the LORD your God,
 will punish anyone who misuses my name.

Blasphemy and blasphemous attitudes expressed in the media
particularly on T.V., point people (without discernment)
in the wrong direction.                                                                                                                                

PSALM 73:8 Spiritual Darkness

Psalm 73:8 New Jerusalem Bible
   Cynically they advocate evil.

The desires, the habits and the attitudes of these folk
have developed from being plain worldly
to being deceptive, manipulative, deceitful,
potentially aggressive and violent.
Callously exploiting others,
they make others subservient to themselves.

Psalm 73:8  Good News Bible
They laugh at other people and speak of evil things
they are proud and make plans to oppress others.

You see it on television and it is more obvious in real life.
People who give their lives to darkness and destruction
deliberately exploit others to ruin them.
They murder in cold blood
They make others subservient to themselves
and take away others freedom.
Such people are living in spiritual darkness.
It does not just happen.
They choose to live in that dynamic.

PSALM 73:7 Poured Out

Psalm 73:7 Good News Bible
   their hearts pour out evil
   and their minds are busy with wicked schemes.

Discernment involves a lot of common sense .
You become aware of people acting without conscience,
taking unfair advantage of people, politically, financially,
socially, as oppressive employers, or money lenders,
holding people to ransom.

People in that state are not reliable or trustworthy.
It is dangerous to join them socially or politically
or in the way of business.

Matthew 26:28 New American Standard Bible
...this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out 
for many for the forgiveness of sins.

What a contrast between the self centered heart
and the Christ centered heart.
You can tell the difference between people
animated by the Spirit of Love
and those animated by a base selfish spirit.

PSALM 73:6 Discernment

Reflecting on some of his contemporaries the psalmist can discern the spiritual reality.
 Psalm 76:6 Good News Bible
And so they wear pride like a necklace
        and violence like a robe
It is possible to be aware when people are not motivated by care for others,
when there is nothing even humanistic about their desires and attitudes.
Pride is often worldly and selfish;
But when the drive to achieve self satisfaction
becomes aggressive and potentially violent,.....beware.
So pride is like a necklace for them
violence the garment they wear.
Thirst for power, for fierce exhilaration
gambling in their greed,
one step at a time becoming more aggressively
avaricious , and having less integrity. 

PSALM 73:5 Discernment

The psalmist reflects on some of his contemporaries with discernment.

Psalm 73:5 New Jerusalem Bible
     exempt from the cares which are the human lot
     they have no part in Adam's afflictions.

The psalmist can see that their perspectives on life have settled.
The way they perceive and value things and people
has become part of the people they are;
Their own greed and covetousness--all rationalized
and justified by social convention.

The theme of contemporary advertisements adds it up.
Have it all . Have it now. Get more. Indulge yourself.
Have the best. Be one up.

PSALM 73:4 Discernment

The psalmist practices discernment
Psalm 73:4 NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE
4   For them no such thing as pain
     untroubled their comfortable portliness
     exempt from the cares which are the human lot
     they have no part in Adam's afflictions.

The psalmist can see that those people were living for their own pleasure,
eagerly following fashion and absorbed in money and fine things.
They were living the dynamic of sin-prone flesh which we can refer to
with St Paul,s Greek word for fallen human nature "sarx"