- I will Give Thanks Forever!
Psalm 30
This is a song that David wrote right after he took a census in 1st Chronicles 21. This displeased the Lord and a result of it a plague broke out amongst the people. After David repented of his actions he praised God for what he has done and his healing and saving hand.
Draw Me Out
We do not know if David personally was affected by the plague or if he was writing it for the people that were affected by it. Either way David wrote about God drawing him out of the pit of Sheol (Old Testament for the grave) and was saved by him. Have you ever been sick? It is not a fun thing but imagine being sick with a plague that was killing people. We see David put his hope in the Lord, he cried to him and he answered him. He cried for help and was healed. Our hope and faith needs to be in the Lord. He can heal you if it is his will to heal you.
We can look throughout the Old and New Testaments about how God healed people. We look at kings to poor people, God healed. But not just a physical healing, God heals the soul. He repairs the damage of sin to the soul and makes all things new. Physicians can heal the body but can not heal the soul, God can do both.
God is True Joy
In verse 3 we see David saying, “You restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.” We see that in verse 5, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” And also in verse 11, “You have turned my mourning in dancing and, you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness.”
As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6-7 that when we are weighed down with sickness or problems to lift our requests to God with thanksgiving and let his peace that surpasses all understanding which is in Christ Jesus be given to us. David knew about this peace and with that peace he could have true joy. He knew what this joy was about. He went from that place of horror and sorrow to a place of peace and security and joy. We can have an even greater peace and joy than David as we can cling to the author and finisher of our faith, Jesus Christ. We can go from an enemy of God to a child of God; from the place of hell to heaven.
We too can finish just like David wrote in vs 12, “O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!”
- Psalm 23
Today we read probably one of the most popular Psalm or at least one of them. David writes as one who has experience of being a shepherd but knows that God is our chief Shepherd.
Instead of writing about what I got from reading the Psalm, I think it would be best to just post the Psalm and read it.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
A good book that I read on Psalm 23 is “A shepherd looks at Psalm 23″ by Phillip Keller.
May God Bless you.
- Trust in His Strength
Psalm 21
As David is king, we see him rejoicing in the Lord. This song would have been sung every time the king returned victoriously from battle. When you read this it is nice to see that the attention is not on the king but on God who worked through the king.
Past, Present, and Future:
As David wrote this maybe for a particular victory we see that God had been faithful in past victories. God had worked mightily for David and did so once again. David starts out with saying, “O Lord in your strength the king rejoices.” It has to start with God. If your attention is not on the Lord almighty but on yourself, you will fail. Just like Peter who walked on water, he had his eyes on Jesus but took his eyes off and on the water and started to drown. The king needed his strength to be the Lord’s. We need God’s strength to fight temptation and tribulation. We need God strength to be a light to this world. We need God’s strength to continue. David gave God all the credit, past, present, and future and so do we. Do you thank God for what he has done, is doing, and will do? Do ask for his strength and are satisfied with it?
Trust in the Lord
In verse 7 David wrote, “For the king trusts in the Lord, and through his steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.” As he rested in God strength, he also trusts it as he will not be moved in battle or life. We may not be in a physical battle but we do need to have this attitude with sin. We will not be moved. Claim the victory of Christ. He is our trust and our strength and we will not be moved.
And David ends the song by writing, “Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. David wrote something that is interesting. He says, “God be exalted in your own strength.” God is exalted or placed on high because no one can compare with his strength; nothing can compete with his strength. For this we will sing and praise you. For your power we will sing. God thank you for being an awesome God.
- June 5th-Outreach
Here are some highlights from our June 5th outreach. Special thanks to Jurupa Middle School and Mr. Goultry for bringing over 80 students. We look forward to the next school year and what God is going to do.
