I know that I live under a political rock but this is interesting to me. A 26-year old Penecostal pastor has been appointed to the head the Faith Office. While the choice is not necessarily surprising, I am interested in the response from the evangelical church and other non-Penecostal denominations. This is a person we should all be praying for every day!
HT: Christian Post
There is way too much going on in my life for my to stop capturing my thoughts, my questions, my challenges. God is doing some amazing things around me and I feel led to talk to my friends about that some more. Hopefully, some of you will find this informative.
The immediate thing that stands out is LORD of Hosts. What is interesting is that just tonight my mother-in-law was praying about this name of the LORD — Jehovah Sabaoth. I could spend the entire time meditating on this name of God but I am choosing to continue meditating on the Psalm itself.
“My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD…” This is a very powerful image. As I think about what it means to long for something so bad that it would almost drive me to faint. Love is a lot like that. We long so much to be with someone — sometimes so much that it almost hurts! To long for the LORD can be so overwhelming that it will cause someone to faint. Do I desire God that much? Does my life show that or is it the exact opposite? If God is my greatest desire, just to be in His courts would be supremely better than anything else. As the Scripture says at the end of this Psalm: “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.” A single day versus a thousand days. One day versus 3 years. I would rather spend one day with God than three years in the most beautiful place on the entire earth. That really makes me think about my desires.
What does it mean for my heart and flesh to sing for joy? We all know what it means for our flesh to crave something. We know what it means when our flesh sings for joy — as from an intimate moment with a loved one. I think of how it feels when you first kiss the person that you love for your entire life — your heart simply sings a song of joy. David is saying that he feels this way all of the time for God. His heart and his flesh are singing to God. Of course, it isn’t just any god — it is the living God. Our God is, was and always will be. David knew that. He lived his life in a way that demonstrated that. Again, do I live my life in a way that shows that my greatest desire is God?
The first few verses of this Psalm remind me of the story of Esther. Haman wanted to kill off all of the Jews. He thought them a blight on the face of the earth. Haman plotted to kill the Jews and rid the world of all Israelites. However, God had another plan. Likewise with me and with everyone else, God has a plan for us. We need to be in tune with that plan. God is not silent — He speaks. We have to listen and be willing to obey. Obedience, I believe, is key in hearing God. I think that is part of why I struggle to hear Him. I lack the obedience necessary on any given day to draw close to Him. I hear Him when He wants me to hear Him, but am I really centering my whole life around Him so that I act only on the things given to me from Him? I don’t know the line here, honestly. I am sure that some hear Him much clearer than others. Some have to act on faith that what they think they are hearing is in fact God’s will. I can say that I have experienced both of these situations and God has been more gracious to me than I deserve.
There are quite a few places mentioned in these Psalm. In order to clearly communicate what all of these locations and people mean, I want to take a moment and research each of them…
Obviously, all of these places and people are used as references to show the hatred for God’s chosen people but then the victories that God was able to give them. The historical relevancy of the people and location adds to the impact as the reader would read the verses.
Please, LORD, help me to remember what You have done for Your people!
God is the only true judge. There are men who have been appointed to be judges, or rules, over the lands. Often times, the power and the position go to their head and they become corrupt. They do not rule with a just heart. The author says that they “walk about in darkness”. The LORD Most High knows how to rule perfectly. He never makes a mistake.
The first verse strikes me as curious — “God has taken His place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods He holds judgment…” God is with the men whom have been appointed to the role of ruler. He is watching over them closely. They will be held accountable for their actions. God will judge them for their judgments. This is a sobering thought. If they ruled because of politics instead of what was just and fair, there was a price to be paid for that sin. God knows every decision made and the reason for that decision. Again, it is humbling and at the same time frightening to know that God knows my every thought and underlying reason.
Impact Verse:
Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!
There is certainly foreshadowing in this concluding verse. All the nations. Would the author have any reason to believe that God would want to save anyone besides the Jews? Why would he think that God would want to bring all the nations into His home? Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophecy. There is no question in my mind.