PSALM 104 Creating and Renewing Spirit

In the Jewish liturgy, Psalm 104 is the Psalm
for Rosh Hodesh--- for the new month
Psalm 104 captures the sense of newness and renewal.

                            A Verse to Pray

Psalm 104:30 KJV
            Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created:
             and thou renewest the face of the earth.

Psalm 104:30 NJB
            Send out your breath and life begins;
            you renew the face of the earth.

note the Spirit of God is the same for all being and life.

"Lord send forth thy Spirit
 and renew the face of the earth"

surely a prayer for all men  ( first pray for all men)

Your  Spirit, (Strongs numbering 7307) , breath, Ruach.
Creating and Renewing Spirit
verse 10-26  The order God brought out of chaos is marvelous
verse 27-30  God's continued creative presence
                     prevents a return to chaos.

PSALM 104 Living Presence

All living things on earth and in the sea,
whether wild or domesticated, birds, sea creatures
and human beings, have some idea of the
Living Presence by which they exist.
   see Psalm 145:15f   and 147:9
Psalm 104:27   All of them look to you
       to give them their food at appropriate times.
28   When you provide it for them, they gather it up
       when you open your hand, they are filled with good things
29   When you turn your face away, they are dismayed
       when you take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

Psalm 145
15   The eyes of all look hopefully to you
       and you give them their food at the right time
16   You open your hand
       and satisfy the needs of every living creature.

Psalm 147:9
       He provides food for the animals
       and for the young ravens when they call.

PSALM 104 Wonder and Power

Psalm104:24 ESV
O LORD, how manifold are your works!
in wisdom have you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

Isaiah 28:29 KJV  for all things
Come forth from the LORD of hosts,
who is wonderful in counsel and
excellent in working.

The psalmist gives an account of the goodness
and wisdom of God in psalm 104.

A testimony to the wonder and power of God,
Psalm 104 lays out the "works" God has wrought
in creation.
How often are my prayers
a testimony to the wonder and power of God ?

When we acknowledge God as our "Creator"
we acknowledge that we are his "creatures"
He is our "Maker"
We can never be other than "His creatures"
"The work of His Hand"

PSALM 104 Signs and Seasons

Psalm 104:19 invites the reader, the singer,
and the one meditating on Psalm 104:19
to reflect on the wonders of creation.

Psalm 104:19  ESV  He made the moon to mark the seasons
                         The sun knows its time for setting.

Genesis 1:14 ESV
And God said let there be lights in the expanse of the 
heavens to separate the day from the night.
And let them be signs and for seasons and 
for days and for years.

We still use the moon to calculate liturgical seasons.
Easter Sunday is the first Sunday
after the 1st full moon after  the 21st of March.
The stars may still be used for navigation.

The fine balance of life on earth is maintained
by various forms of energy emitted by the sun;-
Gamma rays, x-rays,  infra red, and ultra violet
which promotes vitamin D in human skin.
The Moon causes the ocean tides.
Light and warmth are the most obvious benefits
of the Sun, Moon and Stars, but that is the start
of a long list.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

PSALM 104 Take Refuge

In practice, people who take refuge in the Lord

are those who really trust in the Lord

Those who don't take refuge in the Lord

have put their trust elsewhere.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;

and lean not unto thine own understanding. 

                                                                 Proverbs 3:5 KJV

God is our refuge and strength            Psalm 46:1 Scottish Psalter

My safety cometh from the Lord

 who heaven and earth doth make.

                                                                Psalm 121;2 Scottish Psalter

And in God's house for evermore, my dwelling place shall be.

                                                                Psalm 23:6 Scottish Psalter

O blessed is the man whose trust

                 upon the Lord relies.           Psalm 40:4 Scottish Psalter.

God also will a refuge be

      for those that are oppress'd;

A refuge will he be in times

      of trouble to distress'd                    Psalm 9:9 Scottish Psalter

PSALM 104 Place of Refuge

Psalm 104:17-18 Scottish Metric Version

17 Birds of the air upon their boughs

        do chuse their nests to make

     As for the stork,  the fir tree she

        doth for her dwelling take.

18 The lofty mountains for wild goats

         a place of refuge be;

     The conies also to the rocks

         do for their safety flee.

These verses describe the Lord's loving provision

for His own creatures.

In verse 17-18 the creatures;- build their nests,

                                                make their dwelling place

                                                and find refuge and safety.

a fundamental characteristic of the righteous

is that they depend on God, they trust in the Lord.

Psalm 2:12 Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 118:8-9  It is better to take refuge in the Lord

                                  than to trust in man

                          It is  better to take refuge in the Lord

                                  than to trust in princes.

                                            

PSALM 104 Gladdening our Hearts

Psalm 104 14-15 NIV
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for men to cultivate-
bringing forth food from the earth;
wine that gladdens the heart of man,
oil to make his face shine, 
and bread that sustains his heart.

God's provision for us includes ;-
          gladdening our hearts
                 making our face shine
                       and sustaining our hearts.

Psalm 104 affirms that God's character is made evident
in the natural world.
All creation is a demonstration of God,s wisdom,  power
 and benevolence.

PSALM 104 Blessing upon Blessing

Psalm 104:10-14 ESV
You make the springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills;
they give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild donkey quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the livestock
and plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth food from the earth.

The creation of springs in the valley
and grass on the hills, is part of God's
thoughtful generous provision of land and
fruitful yields for our needs.
As it is done in love with wisdom it is also a blessing.
In our need we can see it as part of God's saving work.

In psalm 147 we acknowledge our Lord as;-
"The one who heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds
and "the one who lifts up the downtrodden"
So we can see that the tremendously loving, thoughtful actions
of the Lord, are blessing upon blessing for us.

PSALM 104 Exiles

Saint Augustine  from "De Trinitate"

So let us apply the point to the heavenly country
"Far, far beyond the stars"
from which we, at the moment,
are exiles.
There the will of God presides, as in his house or temple,
over the spirits who are joined together
in highest concord and friendship,
fused indeed into one will by a kind of spiritual fire,
of charity; as it is written;-

"He makes spirits his angel-messengers,
and a burning fire his ministers,                Psalm 104:4

Fused together in the fire of divine love
His love rests on our shoulders.
Our concordance in the will of God
fuses us into one spiritual body,
the body of Christ.

PSALM 104 Experience of Redemption.

Psalms 103, 104, 105, 106,  and 107 recount the deeds of God

in creation and salvation.

The psalmist praises God for what He has done 

in the redemption of His people.

The psalmist recounts something of the covenant history

of the people and their national experience of redemption.

Our national experience of redemption in Britain

must include the effects on the nation of people who have

lead whole communities from spiritual darkness

into the light of faith.

We would have to include people from;-

St. Alban. and St. Cuthbert through to General Booth and John Wesley

and then from Billy Graham through to Nicky Gumble.

and everyone moved by the Spirit.. 

Like the psalmist we should be grateful 

and our gratitude should prompt our gladness and praise.

Psalm 104:1-3 New Catholic Translation

You are clothed in majesty and splendor,

wrapped in light as a robe

You have stretched out the heavens  like a tent 

You have established Your place upon the waters,

You make the clouds serve as your chariot;

You ride forth on the wings of the wind.

  

PSALM 103 For Ever Blessed

In Psalm 103 we are called, along with the angels of God
to bless our LORD and to keep in mind all the generous
and wonderful provision which our heavenly Father has made
and continues to make for us.
We remember that;-
he is our loving saviour (Psalm 103:2-3)
he is our merciful redeemer (Psalm 103: 6-11)
and he is our everlasting Father (Psalm 103:13-18)
Psalm 103 starts and finishes by exhorting our hearts
to glorify our heavenly Father with the words...
"Bless the LORD, O my soul"

There is a world of holy angels
who are ever praising the LORD.
If we were not fallen creatures,
that would be the constant delight
of the whole human race.
But for those who are born of God,
We are to bless the LORD
in complete harmony with the company of heaven.

We shall more perfectly do so when we take our place there.

Psalm 23:4 ESV
Even though I walk through the valley
               of the shadow of death,
        I will fear no evil
for you are with me;

Psalm 73:24 KJV
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel
and afterward receive me in to glory.

John 1027-28  ESV
My sheep hear my voice,and I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish
and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Micah 6:8 ESV
   and what does the LORD require of you ?
but to do justice and to love kindness
   and to walk humbly with your God.

1John 1:3 ESV
    indeed our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ

Psalm 41:12 ESV
You have upheld me...............
   and set me in your presence for ever.

Psalm 103:22 ESV
Bless the LORD , O my soul  !

PSALM 103 WORD OF GOD

Psalm 103: 14,15,16 NIV
14   for he knows we are formed ,
       he remembers that we are dust.
15   As for man, his days are like grass,
       he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16   the wind blows over it and it is gone

Choirs of heaven witness the spring of our lives
and rejoice in the days when we blossom.
After the storms of life, the empty sea bears witness
that our voyage in this realm is over.

Psalm 103:17 NIV
17  But from everlasting to everlasting
      the LORD'S love is with those who fear him,
      and his righteousness with their children's children-

But the kindness of Yahweh rests on our shoulders forever.
His love is upon our flesh from generation to generation.
His face smiles upon us and upon our children
and grandchildren.       .  .  .        bless the LORD.

Psalm 103:18  NIV
18   with those who keep his covenant
       and remember to obey his precepts.

But He has already ransomed us from death
and surrounded us with with love and tender mercies.
This is the LORD who's covenant we keep,
                            who's precepts we shall remember to obey.
Psalm 103:19-20 NIV
19   The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
       and His kingdom rules over all.
20   Praise the LORD, you his angels
       you mighty ones who do his bidding
       who obey his word.

When we give our word, we give our promise
and we give our undertaking.
Together with the angels of God we give our undertaking
to obey His word.......

Psalm 103:20 KJV
Bless the LORD, ye his angels,
That excel in strength, that do his commandments,
Harkening unto the voice of his word.

Listening to the word of God
Obeying the word of God
Performing the word of God.
                        

PSALM 103 Gracious LORD

Psalm 103:8-10  NIV
8    The LORD is compassionate and gracious
      slow to anger, abounding in love.
9    He will not always accuse
      nor will he harbour his anger forever.
10  He does not treat us as our sins deserve
      or repay us according to our iniquities.

Compassionate and gracious; two of the main qualities
which reveal how our LORD cares for us.

Our Lord gives us freedom to choose our own future.
His choice for our future is gracious and compassionate.
May we choose what God hopes for us
.
Psalm 103:11 NIV

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him.

This is the context of our spirituality,
The one to one love of our Lord and Saviour
is also the context of our daily living and breathing,
but once we become aware of the warmth of His love
and the constancy of His love,
the winter of our spirituality becomes vibrant summer.
Let us accept God's love
in all its vastness,
in all its fullness.

Psalm 103:12 NIV

12  as far as the east is from the west,
      so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

You are neither on remand nor on parole.
"This day you will be with me in paradise".
It is tea, with the governor, in his garden,
right now and from now on.

Let us receive the fullness of His forgiveness.

Psalm 103:13 NIV

As a father has compassion on his children
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 

Our God is a father to his people.
That He has compassion on His people
reveals the character of our God.
He is an example to faithful fathers.
It is Godly to show compassion to our children.
It is a requirement of righteousness to have compassion
on our children..

PSALM 103 Make known His ways

Psalm 103:7  NIV

7   He made known his ways to Moses
     His deeds to the people of Israel.

It is the will of God that we may know his ways
     and make known his deeds to people of our day.

We pray that God's ways may be known on earth
whenever we pray   "Thy will be done on earth"
And our own witness should reveal "God with us"
and His ways.

When we share in people's good news
and in their disappointments, with generosity
and understanding, we are exposing God's love.

That is a good context in which to share the Good News.

PSALM 103 Renew your youth

Psalm 103:5 NIV

     Bless the LORD.....

5   who satisfies your desires with good things

     so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

We are sometimes in a position to help people achieve something good.

We are sometimes in a position ; to be enabling , to be helpful,

to be generous with our time because someone needs a little help

or encouragement to do what they are trying to do.

Let us be filled with youthful renewal.

May our good demeanor and our smiles

show that we are young at heart.

Psalm 103:6 NIV

The LORD works righteousness and justice

      for all the oppressed.

If we don't really notice who is oppressed, financially, socially or

medically in our community, we are still immature spiritually.

Those who are mature spiritually are Christlike in the way 

they are already working wonders, very quietly, 

for good people in a difficult corner.  

PSALM 103 Bless the LORD

PSALM 103:3 NIV
     Bless the Lord.....
3   who forgives all your sins
     and heals all your diseases.

Here it is, all written down to guide our Christian discernment.
What is Godlike?, What is Christlike?...forgiving and healing!
If our words or actions are unforgiving and wounding, it is not
the love of Christ within which is prompting our actions.
When we look back at the day,
before the Lord in prayer,
and we can see that what we did or said
brought forgiveness or healing to someone,
or to a relationship or to a situation,
then we were being Christlike.

Psalm 103:4 NIV
      Bless the Lord....
4    who redeems your life from the pit
      and crowns you with love and compassion.

If you crown your sister with love and compassion
you will warm her heart and she will be glad.
If you can say or do anything to redeem a situation,
that is Christlike.

PSALM 103 Praise the LORD

Psalm 103 NIV
1   Praise the LORD, O my soul;
*   all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
*all that is within me  KJV, NRSV, NASB.

We need to do a lot more than sing this song
without thinking about the words.
We want to do more than sing this song with gusto.
We will cry out this Psalm
from the very core of our being.
As our lips give expression to this Psalm,
the soul and all its powers need to be engaged.

Psalm 103:2 NIV
2   Praise the Lord, O my soul
     and forget not all his benefits.

We need to remember and acknowledge all the benefits,
blessings,and  favours, which the LORD is continually
conferring upon  us. We need to call them into recollection
in prayer, by grace, before God.

1st Chronicles 16:12 
 Remember his marvelous works, that he hath done,
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth.  Psalm 105:5 

PSALM 102 Cry to the LORD

Psalm 102:25-27 NRSV
25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth
            and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you endure;
            they will wear out like a garment.
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.


Hebrews 1:10-11 NRSV
10 And, In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
            and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
            they will all wear out like clothing;
12 like a cloak you will roll them up,
            and like clothing they will be changed.
     But you are the same, and your years will never end.


The word of God, in Hebrews, is saying that
Jesus is the "LORD" of Psalm 102:25-27.
He is the Creator, the eternal one who never changes.
He is Yahweh of Psalm 102.


Psalm 102:12 NRSV
But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever ;
       your name endures for all generations,


The God who is "enthroned forever"               v12
and outlasts heaven and earth                    v25-27
"will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and will not despise their prayer,"                    v17

So when we are afflicted......
However bad things seem.......
However impossible the situation looks.......
This is the Lord before whom we pray:

The Triune  God of the Old testament
who is the Triune God of The New Testament
and is also the Triune God of our prayers
who inhabits our worship.


Psalm 102:27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
Hebrews 1:12 But you are the same, and your years will never end

Our Saviour Jesus Christ is eternal God.

Romans 6:23....but the gift of God is eternal life
                          through Jesus Christ our Lord.

PSALM 101 A Triple Tongue

Psalm 101:5 NRSV
The one who secretly slanders a neighbor
I will destroy.
A haughty look and arrogant heart
I will not tolerate.

There are those who by insinuations and false accusations
endeavor to supplant the upright, to gain their office
or some new advantage.
He who speaks with a triple tongue against his neighbor
or fellow servants of God, he slays three persons.
1  The person or people he slanders,
2  Those to whom he communicates the slander.
3  Himself the slanderer.

The Chaldee translation of Psalm 101:5
refers to the slanderers triple tongue.

PSALM 101 Trustworthy People

Psalm 101:3-4 NRSV
I will not set before my eyes
anything that is base.

I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.
Perverseness of heart shall be far from me:
I will know nothing of evil.

Loving parents pray that their children have discernment
and choose appropriate friends.

Caring counselors might pray that their clients
find supportive and not corrosive company.

Psalm 101:7 NRSV
No one who practices deceit
shall remain in my house;
no one who utters lies
shall continue in my presence.

We should not condone or permit
in our own home, in our own business
or in areas where we have responsibility and authority,
activity and behaviour which is against our own
Christian conscience.

It is folly to put our trust in persons
who are not trustworthy.
There is no virtue in exposing our family and friends
to wicked and unprincipled people
whatever their wealth or fame of popular standing.

PSALM 101 The Perfect Way

Psalm 101:2 NRSV
I will study the way that is blameless.
When shall I attain it?

I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;

We have chosen the perfect way,
Jesus Christ is the way.

John 14:6 AV
        Jesus saith unto him
        I am the way, the truth, and the life
        no man cometh unto the Father but by me.

We walk in grace, not in our own strength.
At home, in our own family and in public;-

not by might, not by power, but in my Spirit
says the Lord of Hosts.

Psalm 101:6 NRSV
I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,
so that they may live with me;
whoever walks in this way that is blameless
shall minister to me.

PSALM 101 A PLEDGE

Psalm 101:1  NRSV
I will sing of  loyalty and of justice;
to you , O LORD, I will sing.

All in authority need personal integrity.
Verse 1 is a pledge of integrity and justice
which we can make for our own areas
of responsibility.

We who practice mercy, kindness, truth
and justice in our own lives, as a parent,
or in our own workplace,
do so as representatives of God
and as members of the body of Christ.

Psalm 101:1 New Catholic Version
I will sing of kindness and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will offer praise in song.

PSALM 100 Prophecy of Victory

For St. Athanasius  Psalm 100 becomes Christ's invitation
for those he has redeemed
to sing a song of victory.
From Bible Gateway quoting Matthew Henry;-
This song of praise should be considered as a prophecy
and even used as a prayer, for the coming of that time
when all people shall know that the Lord is God,
and shall become his worshipers,
and the sheep of his pasture.

We may prophesy this psalm to the night sky, because
the heavens proclaim the glory of God.
We may prophesy psalm 100 over the sea of Galilee
and the Irish Sea because the Spirit has already moved upon the waters
and because the sea and all that is in it will worship the Lord.
Even the far off islands will rejoice.
The earth shall be filled with the glory of God
as the waters cover the sea.
Psalm 96:11-13 NIV
Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad
let the sea resound and all that is in it.
Psalm 98:4  Shout for joy to the LORD all the earth
                    burst into jubilant song with music.
Psalm 100 is the word of God and expresses the will of God
                 and expresses in prophecy, what will be.

PSALM 100 WE COME

The community we enter extends into the next world.
The community of God's love,
The community of God's presence
extends beyond the gates of paradise.

Psalm 100:4 
O enter then his gates with praise,
Approach with joy his courts unto:
Praise, laud, and bless his name always
for it is seemly so to do.
We come to participate in all that our Lord
has in store for us in this world and the next.
Psalm 31:20 Tanakh
How abundant is the good
    that you have in store
        for those who fear you....
    .......for those who take refuge in you

Psalm 100:2 SAAS
Come before Him with great joy.

Out of my bondage , sorrow and night,
Jesus I  come, Jesus I come
Into thy freedom , gladness and light.
Jesus I come to thee.                       hymn

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.