Freedom from All Fear

Psalm 46

I am sure you are afraid of something. Everyone is afraid of something. People have fears from snakes to being afraid of snow and what fear does is that it immobilizes us. I have heard fear defined as, false evidence appearing real. The devil wants more than anything for us to fear anything and everything because fear causes us to not trust God. This is so true, when you are afraid you focus on that fear, you become worthless to the kingdom because you are afraid.

Who Is Bigger than Fear

In this psalm we see that it was to be led by Alamoth or the girls. This psalm was the victory song for Israel when they would win in battle even though it looked like they were outnumbered. The Psalm starts out with who is in control of all things. It starts, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

God is bigger than the enemy who seems so very big. God is bigger than cancer or sickness and even bigger than death. God holds all things in his hands. Why then do we freak out over stuff? Why then do we fear? Why does fear cause us to stop moving forward for the kingdom? A quote I heard once said, “Once you live in fear you will never be a free man.” If you move past that fear, you are free. Just like sin, which so easily enslaves us, it is a product of fear. Because of sin, we fear. Because of fear we doubt. Because of doubt we do not have faith. When we live in Christ we are free from sin.

Why do we fear if God tells us that he knows how many hairs are on our heads? Why do we fear if God knows what tomorrow holds? Why do we fear when God takes care of the birds and the flowers of the field and cares even more for us (Matthew 6)? I am guilty of fear and I can see how it is a hindrance to the kingdom. Even when nations may rise up against nation and the whole earth seems like it is passing away, in whom do I put my trust? In you GOD! I pray that we would not fear people but live boldly for you. Our fear has been fought and won on the cross so sin can not take us captive. I pray we can trust you in our lack of faith. I pray that we can “Be still and know that you are God and that you are with us (Psalm 46:10-11)”

Restore Me in Your Love

Psalm 44

Today we read a Psalms that takes place sometime during the Babylonian exile. The writer shows their loyalty and hope in God but also show that they are upset about the present situation. As you read this Psalm look for the words of their frustration but also the words of their hope. And after that think about your present situations. Can you complain and compare them to these Israelites? Most likely it can’t compare but we still can look at what God did in the past and know that he is capable to deliver us in the future.

What Paul says

Throughout this chapter we see a couple mentions of sheep being scattered or led away to the slaughter and as he was writing about the present situation as many Jews were scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire and Babylonian Empire but also many died from this invasion and even Jerusalem and the Temple was destroyed. In verse 22 it says, “Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. ”

Paul uses this verse to show how great God’s love is for his children in Romans 8. Romans 8:35-39 says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor thing to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As the Israelites were perplexed in their state of oppression, we know that in our state of oppression and sin, that God loves us. NOTHING can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Even if we were scattered and there is intense trials and tribulations it still can’t separate us. Nor matter the situation we face in this life, we know that God loves us. We are not disconnected to him. If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all (Romans 8:31-32).  We are restored in God’s love. It is God’s grace through Christ that we have that true hope.

We see that God did eventually restore Israel as they turned to him and we are only truly restored when we turn to Christ as Lord of our lives. Repent of your sin and turn to Christ.

My Soul is downcast #1

Psalm 42

This psalm is attributed to sons of Korah. It is nice to see what God did with this family line. In Numbers 16 we see Korah start a rebellion but God did not punish the sins of the father on the children. He actually allowed this line of Levites to be used to sing in the temple. In 2nd Chronicles 2:19 we see that they became singers for worship in the temple.

This Psalm is to be read with ch. 43 which we will look at tomorrow. This psalm shows the distress of the soul but there is hope and ch. 43 will give answers to the questions in the ch. Many commentators may think this was song about the distress of the writer being away from the temple. He may have been with David away when he fled from Absalom and it may have been Sabbath and he normally would have been at the temple but could not. Some think it might have been a physical problem that was keeping the writer away from the temple. Either way we can learn a lot from this song.

Pant after God

IN the very beginning we see the writer saying his soul pants after God like a deer after flowing streams. In vs 2 he says, “My soul thirsts for the living God.” The writer would have been normally in the temple or the presence of God and now was away from that setting. He misses it. We know today that God’s presence is with us, we do not have to go to a temple for that, but we pant, desire, or thirst after many other things. Some people desire money, power, and possessions. Some people desire the presence of a person, but what about the living God. You can never know what it is like to miss the living God unless you have followed after him. What do you thirst after? We should desire God more and more. Just like if you are thirsty and need some cold water to drink, we should desire after God more so.

The only true satisfaction for thirst is not water to drink but everlasting water which is found in Christ Jesus. John 4:13-14, Jesus asked the woman of Samaria at the well if she would like everlasting water. That is truly what our soul needs, the everlasting healing and thirst quenching of Jesus Christ. Turn to Jesus and be satisfied in Him.

My Soul is Downcast

The writer mentions his soul is downcast or in sorrow several different times in this psalm. The reason is because he is not where he can be, the temple. He wants to be close to God but he can’t. Have you ever been doing something that you know is not pleasing to God? When you get the guilt, your soul is in sorrow. You know it is against God. The psalmist was not in sin, but when we are not seeking after God, and in sin, our soul is in sorrow. When we are not where we are supposed to be, our soul can be in sorrow. The answer the writer gives is the answer we need. In verse 11 he says, “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. The only hope that we have for the downcast, for the soul is Christ. He is the one who makes all things truly right. He is the one who makes us right before God. He is the hope that we have. In him there is no hope, there is nothing beyond that for our soul.

Many people may hope in something for the quick relief, such as the economy, other people, drugs and alcohol but that is all temporary and will leave more disappointment in the end. Christ is the answer, the only sure thing. My soul is downcast but I hope for Christ, I have faith in God’s grace which is in Christ Jesus.

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.