2nd Evangelical Free Church

Humility is a necessity for prayer that honors God.

 

Psalm 130-131

Here are two Psalms that are offered to God in deep and heartfelt humility. The first Psalmist acknowledges his own sinfulness and weakness. He needs God’s help. He is not able to help himself. He cannot argue with God or bargain with Him. He cannot build up a case for himself by blaming others for the troubles caused by his own sins. He can never make a claim that he is not so bad because others are worse. He has no right to say anything but admit his faults, for compared to Yahweh, he cannot even stand in His sight. Yet He knows the Lord to be kind and merciful so he trusts Him knowing that his prayer will be answered. Deliverance is his because of God’s faithfulness to those who so trust Him.

 

The second Psalmist is King David. He expresses a similar humility as he compares himself to a weaned child. He is not proud or haughty or so impressed with himself that he thinks such a comparison, such an admission is beneath him. Again, compared to God there is nothing he can say that will make his case,  nothing that will make God think he is such a great man deserving of His favor. Thus he knows when to be quiet and cease pleading with God. This tells us that when we pray the same prayers over and over again we may not be trusting in the Lord. We should pray and wait on the Lord for if we believe He has heard us, we must realize that He will act on our behalf.

Meditate & Apply: Think about your prayer life. Have you ever prayed the same prayer over and over? Why did you do this? Does this mean that you did not trust God? Why or why not?

Always thank God for deliverance.

 

Psalm 129

This psalm is one of lament. The image of the furrowed plowed the backs of the people is quite graphic as it describes the pain they have endured at the hands of their oppressors. The Psalmist calls on his people to praise God who has helped free them of deep and painful bondage and who has given them the strength to persevere through the many tribulations that marked her history. Yet the people need to continue to pray for ongoing deliverance. The prayer is for the Lord to cause His enemies to wither and lose all strength, and to not experience the slightest blessing or help from anyone.

 

In Israel as in many cultures both ancient and modern, it is customary to greet someone by wishing God's blessing on him or her. This means that we want the Lord to grant them all blessings and prosperity. For we who are modern Christians it means that we want them to experience God’s salvation as well. That is a prayer we must always pray for those who oppress us, so it seems odd that we would be asked by God not to do so. The fact is for those who have hardened their hearts against the Lord, such a prayer for blessing may be useless for at some point, God will not honor it at least not for the reason or in the way we ask.  

Meditate & Apply: When should we then stop praying for those we love if they continue to reject the Lord? When should we pray that they fall into God’s hands and do with them as He sees fit?

Raising Godly children.

Psalm 127-128

The Psalmists who wrote these Psalms call on us to trust in God. This will yield benefits and blessings for our families as well as ourselves for as we trust God we communicate that trust to our children and to all future generations. We communicate that trust as we teach our children the ways of the Lord, instructing them the wisdom of showing respect, fear and obedience to Him. In this way we and they build a house on the Lord, a heritage that He will safeguard, guide and protect.

However, those who fail to trust God, fail. They will find their lives and the lives of their children filled with futility, frustration, chaos, and sin. Without God, without the teachings of His word, no matter how much money, time and effort that they put into raising their children, no matter how many gifts, trinkets and material possessions they give them, these will never produce a child that loves the Lord, a child that is a blessing and joy to his or her parents, relatives and neighbors. Those who work to raise kids apart from God will produce selfish spoiled brats who will turn their backs on everyone, including their parents, in the pursuit of selfish pleasures.

Meditate & Apply: Are your raising a brat? If so, you had better take the steps to correct that now. Your children will thank you.

Streams of blessing.

 

Psalm 126

This Psalm appears to be one of praise but is also a lament. It seems to have been written when the Jews returned to Jerusalem following their exile in Babylon, around the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. The Psalmist rejoices because like all of his neighbors returning from captivity, he could hardly imagine what had occurred. They had lived all their lives without expecting that this would happen. It was a dream come true, the answer to all their prayers. Despite their sins, the Lord was very good to them and had showed mercy and granted forgiveness.

 

Yet there is also cause for lament, for sadness. Though they are in the land again, things are not the same. The Kingdom of David, the Kingdom of God has not been reinstated. The Psalmist uses the streams in the southern desert, the Negev as examples of what he desires. During most of the year they are dry but during the rainy season they become raging torrents providing blessing for the people who needed the water to survive. The Psalmist wants the showers of God’s blessing to fall again on Israel. Once that happens, then even though life is filled with toil and suffering it is also filled with joy. The agricultural prosperity is a sure sign of God’s blessing but so is peace.

Meditate & Apply: Does your life become easier to bear if you know that God is blessing you in the midst of your suffering? Why or why not?

The Believer’s Responsibility for ensuring God’s protection.

 

Psalm 125

In the first Psalm, the psalmist compares the Lord’s protection to the city of Jerusalem which has natural defenses that prevented enemies from overwhelming her. This is cause for praise to Yahweh because those who trust in Him find safety and security. This image is an expression of praise because the Psalmist realizes how well he and his fellow believers can rely on God for support in times of temptation and doubt. The Lord will provide every believer with the necessary resources to overcome any and all of these onslaughts of the flesh and the devil.

 

Yet although God's people are secure, they have to realize that they have a choice to make regarding how they will live. If they trust God and live according to His commands, they will find blessing and deliverance. However, if they decide to live according to the ways of the world or the lustful desires of their own flesh, they will find that God would not turn His back on them. He will inflict the same punishments upon them as He has inflicted on their enemies and on the wicked in general. God is obligated to do this because the people who have chosen to call Him Lord are bound to serve Him. Failure to obey will result in discipline that will teach them the value and wisdom of obedience.

Meditate & Apply: Are you encouraged by the image of God’s protection? Do you find that it is more worthwhile on a practical level to keep God’s commands without questioning Him? Why?

Reliance on God is our blessing.

 

Psalm 123-124

These Psalms, though written by different authors, both give praise to the Lord for His help in times of great trial. In the first, the Psalmist asked the Lord for to intervene as Israel's enemies were ridiculing her for depending too much on Yahweh. Yet this dependence is his strength and his salvation. After all, he realizes that he is but a servant and needs to wait on his master in order to act. In the second Psalm, David also praises God for protecting him and all Israel from their enemies. He too realizes the strength that he finds in dependence on God, for without His assistance Israel would never have been victorious over her foes, would have ceased to exist.

 

On a practical basis, worshipping and serving Yahweh is the only sane option a person can choose. After all, our Lord God is the one who made the heavens and the earth. No matter how many people slander His name and ridicule us for worshipping Him, He is still the only God, still the only one who can deliver us from the enemies of our faith, still the only one who does what is right and good for all mankind. Those who choose not to serve him will find that self-reliance will lead them into chaos and destruction, while those who do serve the Lord will find Him a constant help as they persevere through trials.

Meditate & Apply: Although we endure trials don’t you find that relying on the Lord is better than not having Him in your life?

Prayer for safety.

 

Psalm 122

David wrote this Psalm as he too made his pilgrimage up to Mt.Zion. This journey made by so many of his people has been made a safe one because of what the Lord has done through him. Hence he exhorts the people of Israel to continue to worship the Lord and to pray for His peace upon the city. As long as there is such peace, the people can continue to honor God. As they do so, they will be blessed. God is  certainly is worthy of praise an thanksgiving for all good things come from His hand.

 

Sadly, as we know from the Scriptures, the people of Israel abandoned the Lord and fell into sin even when they were in times of peace. And we see the same thing in our own world. When there is prosperity and peace, people get complacent and fat. They forget that God has given them blessings and that with those blessings comes responsibility. We must honor God through thanksgiving and praise in addition we must honor Him through obedience to His commands. If we forget where our blessings come form we wind up thinking that what we do does not matter to God.

Meditate & Apply: Have you thanked God today for your daily blessings?

The Lord is the Protector of His people.

 

Psalm 120-121

The next several Psalms are called “Psalms of Ascent” because the people of Israel sang them as they traveled from their homes all over the land to go up to Jerusalem, to Mt. Zion for the annual feasts. The two we focus on today are Psalms which call on God for encouragement and help. He asks for deliverance from deceitful people who slander him without cause, as well as people who are bent on violence.  The nations mentioned, Meshech and Kedar were peoples who  periodically harassed the Israelites. These were the very people who were making life difficult. The Psalmist prays for them but also warns them of the consequences of their behavior.  

 

As this psalmist traveled on up to Mt Zion, he meditated on the Lord as the source of His strength and his deliverance from such bloodthirsty and malicious neighbors. He knew that God would keep him safe on this journey and every one of his journeys through life. God is always on the job. He never stops working or takes a rest for we are on His heart and He cares for us. We may often doubt that God is so caring; and we may often feel He has deserted us so it is very important for us to bear in mind the words the Psalmist imparts to us. In spite of the perils of our journey, we can always trust in the Lord. He is not too great to care, and we are not so small that He does not notice us.

Meditate & Apply: When we suffer, what should we expect from God?

How much involvement should God have in our lives?

 

Psalm 119:161-176

As we come to the close of this great Psalm we note that those who trust in God’s word can possess great peace. This peace comes even in the midst of opposition from those in the world who intimidate us, as well as the rich and powerful who seem to exercise inordinate control over our lives, who seem to get away with much wickedness and sin. This peace is due to the confidence the word of God engenders in us for it often reminds us of the things God has promised to those who follow Him, as well as the ways in which He has fulfilled those promises in the past. From this we can infer that He will always fulfill His pledges to us.

 

The psalmist ends by once calling out to the Lord to answer His prayers. He asks the Lord to always enable Him to follow God’s word and always enable him to look there for godly wisdom. He asks the Lord to enable him to do so all his life. Thus this ought to instill in us the great importance of the Word of God for it relates to every area of life, and give us valuable lessons and principles that can address every situation we face. We can avail ourselves of such wisdom if we are willing to take the time to sit down with God and ask Him for guidance. God does not separate life into compartments that have no effect on each other. That is our sin.

Meditate & Apply: Reflect on the American concept of the separation of Church and state. How does this Psalm reflect upon the validity of such a concept? How does this Psalm help us to be better workers and neighbors?

A Godly life pleases the Lord.

 

Psalm 119:145-160

The Psalmist calls on God at various times to deliver him because he has promised that he will keep His commandments. His enemies who do not know or trust God cannot and will not do as he does so that what they do is displeasing to the Lord. The one who walks in the ways of the Lord does please and honor God. Such a person can look to the Lord for deliverance because his life is not deceitful or marked by hypocrisy. The godly person always trusts so His faith is going to be rewarded at all times.

 

The wicked have no such hope because they live lives that show nothing but disdain for God. They do not listen to, value or obey God and His Word until they are faced with trouble and suffering. Then they cry out to God and wonder why He does not help. God knows the cry of the heart of one who truly desires His will and His way from the cry of one who just wants to be delivered so he or she can continue to live for  him or her self. God will not answer the prayer of any one who is playing games with Him or does not acknowledge His sovereignty with personal commitment and loyalty. 

Meditate & Apply: Why do people ignore God on a regular basis but then expect Him to jump immediately to answer their prayers when they are in trouble? Will He?