Daily Meditations

Psalm 25:11   For the sake of His name      This verse needs a little bit of thought! I have no problem in confessing that my iniquity is great and nor should you. The problem is the inference that the Lord’s honour and His name are at stake because of my sin and transgression. There could be two ways of looking at this. Firstly, the Lord is the Deliverer, the Saviour, the One who protects and cares for His people, so even though I have done wrong He had better live up to His name and save me! The second meaning suggests that if I stumble and fall and bring suffering and judgement upon myself, people will inevitable conclude that God has failed me and deserted me, and He does not live up to His name! I don’t like either of these interpretations because they both infer that we can hold God to ransom and if He does not restore us and forgive us, He is somehow lacking! Could David be so disrespectful as to advocate any of this? I suggest that He had a far deeper understanding of the

Psalm 25:10   A Covenant God      It is a sad thing that today we rarely hear about God’s Covenant relationship with His people. He has always had an over-all plan that has taken shape with increasing revelation though the ages. In my youth I heard a lot about “dispensationalism” which suggested that God’s plan was fragmented into different eras, as if He tried a plan which didn’t work so He started afresh with a different plan and a different set of people. Today I see more clearly that the over-all plan has taken shape over history by means of a number of steps. God has gathered His family by making covenants, but each new covenant is not a single entity but part of the whole. Adam and Eve’s actions brought separation from God. God’s covenants and His promises are designed to restore us back to Him and to build a true family that belongs to Him. Examples are: - ·        The covenant with Noah ensured that all of mankind would be preserved by the provision of food. ·      

Psalm 25:9   Teach us Your ways      The world, it seems, is full of people who want to make a name for themselves! That’s why social media is so popular with nobody’s, has-beens and opportunists! Our culture is driven by self-interest, ambition, wealth and egotism.  Our educational system labels us a success if we pass exams and excel at sport or art or music; alternatively, we are deemed average or a failure if we do not impress in any of these areas. No one gets points for honesty, moral integrity, good character, helpfulness and unadulterated kindness. Sadly, egotistical traits are only too visible in the church where some love the limelight and others scramble for attention. Even mature believers like to be known for their knowledge and their spiritual prowess, to be up on the pedestal, to be admired and “sought after.” There is no one more pathetic than the Christian who sets out to be spiritually superior – who apparently hears and sees things that others have missed! Our

Psalm 25:8   Intstructed in His ways      It seems almost demeaning to say of the Lord God that He is good and upright. I want to shout, “Of course He is. Tell me something I don’t know!” But then, to say the Lord God is good and upright is not like saying “Geoff Abbott is good and upright.” We may all see good in one another and we may look at certain people and call them upright but, when we use these terms of the Lord God, we are saying He is wholly good and wholly upright. I’m afraid that you cannot say that about me! You see, I need instruction about sin and what is right and wrong. I need someone to explain such things to me. There are sins like murder and theft and lying that are fairly obvious to most of us, but it’s the more subtle misdemeanours that require some instruction. God honours those who never speak ill of others, who always keep their word, who do not change their minds, who have their thoughts as well as their actions under control. There are myriads of sins

Psalm 25:7   According to Your love      If our plea is that the Lord should remember His great mercy and love; we also have grounds for asking Him to forget ! “Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways!”  In truth, the Lord cannot forget, for that is a human fallibility associated with dying brain cells or mental deficiency. No, God does not forget but He does choose not to remember.  “Your sins and iniquities I will remember no more.”  Jeremiah 31:34. I’m afraid that my sins go back a long way, all the way back to my childhood and youth. So do yours! Well, it’s good to know that God’s love and mercy go back even beyond that and He chooses to think of us, not on the basis of our sins but on the foundation of His love. Just as our love for our children can help us to not remember their naughtiness, so the love of God is bigger and greater than our sinfulness. Once we have accepted God’s sacrifice for sins at Calvary, the slate is wiped clean. Our sin is consigned

Psalm 25:6   The patience of God      The Lord’s great mercy and love were counted as “from of old” in David’s day, circa 1,000BC! We can add many more years to that pronouncement and still His mercy and love abound. This is one of the few instances where we know more than David knew, for 3,000 years have passed since his reign and still God’s mercy and love prevail throughout the earth. Indeed, 2,000 years ago He sent His Son to us and made Him a sacrifice for our sins; that is the greatest act of love and mercy that will ever occur on our planet. Since then, countless men and women have tasted the fruits and the power of the Holy Spirit, and love and mercy are at the heart of all that He is and does.  The phrase “from of old” literally means long-standing or something that has ever been. God has always been and will always be merciful and loving, for that is His very nature. So many people have Him pictured as wrathful and vengeful but they fail to realise that God’s judgement

Psalm 25:5   You are God my Saviour      It is incredibly frustrating to be driving in a large city and find you are completely lost. Nowadays we have SatNav or Google Maps or some other electronic device to help us but there was a time …….  Life can be like that for there are occasions when we are enveloped by a sense of bewilderment and confusion. Where am I going? Why is nothing clear? Am I going around in circles? Now what do I do next? Which is the right way? David was spot on, it’s time to cry out to the Lord,  “Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Saviour.” The dilemma is not just a personal one, sometimes we cry out in frustration on behalf of others who are in a dark place, or maybe it’s our church or our nation that is floundering. The enemy is crafty here, he is so adept at weaving complex labyrinths that have us chasing our tails and wasting an inordinate amount of time only to arrive back where we started! That is why this prayer is so important a

Psalm 25:4   Show me Your ways      Look, no one said that it was going to be plain sailing did they! Forgive me for mixing my metaphors here, but this Christian walk, this holy path, this ongoing adventure with God is never going to be straightforward. If we have plateaued and are cruising spiritually, then something is wrong! Life tends to throw up innumerable crossroads and twists and turns, decisions need to be made daily and there’s always a sense of uncertainty if we are walking God’s paths. Why? It is because the world is not our home, the future in this world is never certain and our plans for tomorrow are frankly, pointless. There are endless temptations and lures to disrupt this walk and time and time again, we will veer off the track only to find that it goes nowhere, or it is leading away from the truth. So we turn around, come back to the correct path and set off again, often uphill and alone, wondering if this is the correct course. No wonder the spiritual man or wo

Psalm 25:3   Hope in the Lord      What does it mean to hope in the Lord?  Clearly it is much more than just a vague anticipation! We hope the weather is going to be nice or that our favourite team will win a match. We hope an event will go well or that we will arrive somewhere on time! All of these examples, and many more, are just a desire that things will go well, that circumstances will work in our favour. To hope in God has got to be more than that, surely? The Hebrew word for hope here suggests to “wait upon.” “ No one who waits on you will be ashamed.”  It’s a positive statement that assures us that if our trust and faith is firmly in God and we put all things in His hands, we will not have cause for regret. Conversely, there are those who are deceitful and treacherous, and they will live to regret their actions and their attitudes.  Here is David who lived a complicated life. He had many responsibilities and every day required decisions and advice from the king. People

Psalm 25:2    Don't let my enemies triumph      Well, we’re back to the spiritual warfare again! This is a good prayer at the start of a day. Before we venture out into the world and its glitter and attractions we need to pray,  “Lord, do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. ” Somewhere, out there, the Satan has already got one of his henchmen waiting. There will be a moment when a thought crosses our mind, or a flicker of interest is exchanged between two sets of eyes, or a voice will suggest we give up and stop fighting, or we repeat that joke that should never be repeated. The list is endless and personal to each one of us BUT whatever happens, “Lord, please don’t let me be put to shame. Don’t let my witness, my relationship with You be trampled underfoot because of one moment of madness.” Reading God’s Word, spending time with Him, if just for a few moments, is a big help in getting our armour on and being prepared to go and face the foe. He is c

Psalm 25:1  Lift up my soul        This Psalm was written as an acrostic poem where each verse begins with the successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. (NIV Text Note.) The nature of Psalm 25 and the following 9 Psalms is unusual in that they balance pleas for mercy and for God’s help with declarations of faith and trust in His unfailing love.  “In You, Lord my God, I put my trust,”  writes David. The Hebrew translation puts it rather differently,  “Unto You Lord, do I lift up my soul.”  In other words, “I place my confidence in You. I let You be the source and prompter of my emotions. I focus my thoughts on You. I have You in my heart at all times. My moral character takes its lead from You. I humble myself before You and let You fill my being. Here is my soul, Lord, take it and mould it so that You are the centre of everything that is me. Thus, I will trust in You.” Let us make this our life’s purpose, to open ourselves to the Lord so that every breath, every heartbeat, every

Psalm 24:9-10   My King of Glory      The last two verses of the Psalm repeat what has already been said, probably for dramatic effect and undoubtedly the words stick in our minds as we read them again. Now we’ve had time to think about it, who indeed is the King of Glory? It is the Lord! Just as on the day the Ark of the Covenant arrived in Jerusalem and established the royal city of the kingdom of David and of Israel, so the arrival of the Lord Jesus in glory established the Kingdom of God forever. These are no tepid, insignificant moments, these are earth shattering, heaven shattering events that changed the course of history for eternity. When the King of Glory comes to stay the whole of the universe is shaken for this is no ordinary King. He is the all-conquering King, the Lord Almighty. He was David’s King; He is my King. Because of Him I know who I am and where I belong and whom I serve. Hallelujah! And so this wonderful Psalm ends in similar vein as its beginning. It beg

Psalm 24:8   Who is this King of Glory?      The Hebrew word translated “glory” here is   kabod , which means “weight,” but it is used figuratively, as in “his argument carries weight” or “the content of that book is weighty.” So, when we call the Lord the “King of Glory” we mean that He is the most awesome, most powerful king and should be taken seriously. This thought of glory links with the Tabernacle in Exodus 33 where the Lord says,  “I will appear in the cloud over the atonement cover.”  He was referring to the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies. This was God’s throne on earth and it was glorious! That inner sanctum was lit only by the light of His presence and the glory was too much for sinful men to be able to stay with it. God met with Moses in this place, see Exodus 25:22. Once again then, we are celebrating, with King David, the coming of the glory of the Lord to Zion, as the Ark, with God’s glory, is brought up to the city.  Jesus rode into Jerusalem in a joyful proces

Psalm 24:7   Let the King of glory in!      A victorious king approaches the gates of the capital city and the gatekeepers assemble to welcome him and his entourage. The king roars,  “Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.”  Was David thinking about himself when he composed this song? Almost certainly not. This was written either for the day that the Tabernacle was brought up to Jerusalem or for ceremonial events commemorating the arrival of the Lord God in the Holy City. This was arguably the most outstanding event in David’s life. He was king, but his King was welcomed into Jerusalem. This was what all of the battles and conflicts and heartache had brought him to; the Ark of the Covenant and the Glory of God had arrived and was established in Zion. It was enough to make the king of Israel dance shamelessly in the streets! (2 Samuel 6.) There are many commentators who transfer this scenario to heavenly realms and pict

Psalm 24:6   Seek His face      This is a statement from David that needs to be broken down, for it is saying a number of things. In the light of all that has already been said, we are being told that there are certain times when particular groups of people seek after God. These are the generations that seek Him. History kind of backs that up, revival, evangelistic zeal, purification of the church and its doctrine – all of these things can be identified amongst particular groups and at certain times. Events such as the Reformation, the age of the Puritans, the Wesleyan and American Revivals are well-known examples, but there are many smaller moments in the history of countries and communities where believers have come together in unity before God. These occasions have usually been times of great blessing, of renewed worship and love for God’s Word and prayer and endeavour in the service of God’s kingdom.  “Such is the generation of those who seek Him.”  Sadly, many of these cheris

Psalm 24:5a   Drawing Closer      There is an argument in Christian thinking that we can do nothing to impress God, that He blesses us regardless of what we are and what we do. There are many who say that God dispenses His blessings as and when He chooses, to whom He chooses, and that even when we think we are close to Him we are still a million miles away! We have no say or input into our relationship with Him, it is all by His grace. Does this Psalm support that view? I think, like David, that my Father is approachable, that He loves having me near to Him and that by watching my actions, my thoughts, my heart and my affections I am able to draw nearer still.  Indeed, that is my experience. And in drawing closer, I find that His grace and mercy and lovingkindness are greater than could ever be imagined. Then I see that my vindication is not by my merit but because He is God my Saviour. Do you see the paradox here? There are those who believe we should work at this relationship wi

Psalm 24:5   The blessing of the Lord      So what happens if we ignore all that has been learned from verse 4? The Bible is quite clear, the Lord will turn His face away from us. His displeasure builds up, we are abusing His grace and His love. That does not mean we are forgotten or no longer loved but how can He pour His Spirit into the life of one who does not care or who has no intention of “drawing near?” The incredible thing, in my own experience, is that even when I have strayed way off the path and deliberately and knowingly sinned, the Lord has still been there for me and I have received His guidance and help. That is how gracious He is. However, I’m sure I have also missed His blessing. From personal experience, listening to others and reading the destinies of individuals and of a nation in Scripture, it is clear that the closer we come to the Lord and the more we love to obey Him, the higher we ascend that holy mountain in verse 3. Even if this were not so, and who know

     Psalm 24:4b             The one who does not swear by a false god    Obviously, this does not mean that we if we go around cursing in the name of false gods the One true God is deeply offended by us! To take the name of God on our lips by way of an oath or a solemn promise is a serious matter. The Courts and legal profession may still ask us to make a declaration of truth on the Bible or similar. Wedding vows are solemn declarations, as are those made by godparents and by the men and women who take office in some church denominations. Our God is a jealous God, when we swear an allegiance to Him, even if it is not publicly witnessed, we are in serious territory. Those who swear by Him and also swear by other deities are causing Him grave offence. How can we lump the Lord alongside other lesser deities?  How can we say His is my Lord and then pay lip service to something else? If He is truly God then He is above all and any other allegiance is an abomination to Him. We do not

     Psalm 24:4a        The one who has a pure heart       One thousand years before Christ, a songwriter called David realised that God does not look on the outward appearance, God looks at the heart. David knew that however clean our hands might be, true cleanliness comes from within. If a man or woman wanted to enter the Holy Place and commune with God then he or she must be pure in heart. In fact, after he had sinned with Bathsheba he cried out,  “Create in me a pure heart, O God!”   Psalm 51. Jesus echoed these thoughts when He said,  “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”  Matthew 5:8. The Psalm is really asking us to examine ourselves, to look deep within. Are all my thoughts, emotions, motivations and actions driven by purity in my heart? If I truly want to ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in the Holy Place, then I need to check out my heart! ·        The one who does not trust in an idol The word idol immediately conjures up pictures of sta

Psalm 24:4   Clean hands      As we have seen in the previously, it was strictly only priests who could enter the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle and stand in the Holy Place. However, times had changed; David had overcome the Philistines, eventually, and established his throne in Jerusalem. During the lifetime of Samuel and the reign of King Saul and these early days of David’s reign, the Ark of the Covenant had remained in limbo in Judah at Kiriath Jearim. (About 9 miles west of Jerusalem.) It was kept in the house of a man called Abinadab, maybe for 50-60 years! In fact David had to search for it and the wonderful Psalm 132 sets out the whole story of how it came to be found and transported to Jerusalem. The account of its final journey to the new City of David is set out in 1 Chronicles 13 and 2 Samuel 6. David had prepared a tent for the Ark and a day of great jubilation accompanied its coming to the City. There is no doubt that most of the ritual and mystique had been lost

Psalm 24:3   The Royal Priesthood      We have been drawn to the Mountain of the Lord in previous Psalms – Psalm 2:6 and Psalm 15. The question recurs here ; “Who may ascend the Mountains of the Lord? Who may stand in His Holy Place?”  David wrote this Psalm and asked these questions. Maybe David reflect on his answers in Psalm 65:4; after recognising that God has forgiven our sins he writes,  “Blessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.” The necessary qualifications for entry are forgiveness of sins and a walk of obedience as emphasized in Psalm 15 and in the next verse of this Psalm. Leaving that aside for a moment let us consider what it is we are being asked. It’s not just about the physical ascent of a sacred mountain or a visit to a religious site. David is asking, “Who may come close to God? Who can enter the presence of the Lord? Who is able to stand in such a holy place withou

Psalm 24:2   Founded on the seas      The Bible speaks often of the world having foundations. It also talks about pillars,  “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.”   Psalm 75:3. These ideas are meant to convey structure, architecture, sound building principles and design. The world is NOT a random chunk of matter that metamorphed into the planet earth. It is not an anonymous piece of debris from some cosmic explosion. It is a carefully, lovingly and brilliantly constructed dwelling place for human-kind and all of God’s other living organisms. The earth is the Lord’s and because of that, it is perfectly designed and its foundations are secure against any disaster.  David now takes up the thought of the world being founded on the seas and established on the waters. Let’s take that a step further shall we and try to find out what it means?  The starting place is to discover any other Scriptures that promote the same ideas. Genesis 1:9      An

Psalm 24:1a   He is God of all      It is not enough to grasp that the world belongs to the Lord. The Psalm is explicit –  we  belong to the Lord too.  All of mankind belongs to Him. He made us. He designed us before we were born. We were created by Him and  “Every day ordained for us was written in His Book before one of them came to be.”  Psalm 139. We owe Him a huge debt of gratitude for the life that we have been given. We owe Him respect and worship and obedience for He is our God and we are His creation. He has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, minds to understand, a Book that we can read and a soul that can respond to Him. Our spirits are designed to be in tune with His Spirit. Everything about us screams, “I was made by God, I belong to God, I was made in the image of God.” How awful is it that so many of us spend most of our lives rebelling against Him? Why, why, why does the human race ignore Him, curse Him and belittle Him when He is our God. A God who loves us so muc

Psalm 24:1   The earth is the Lord's          In Exodus 9 we read about the Plague of hail that came upon Egypt when Moses stretched out his hands to the skies before Pharaoh. This was one of God’s judgements, intended to prompt Pharaoh to let the Hebrew slaves leave their slavery and begin their journey to the Promised land. Pharaoh was having none of it so lightening flashed down to the ground, the thunder roared and hail stones fell with such intensity that leaves were stripped from the trees. Pharaoh relented and summoned Moses to curtail the terrible damage being done to the land and its inhabitants. Moses said to him, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that  “the earth is the Lord’s.” Man has control over many things, we have unravelled many mysteries and science has lifted the lid on some of the world’s hidden secrets but there is still so much

Psalm 23:6a   It lasts forever!      And so we come to the end of this familiar and thrilling Psalm.  “I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”   The feast will never end, the table will never be empty. The attentions of the Shepherd King are permanent, we do not pay Him a quick visit and then get sent away. We are always welcome in His presence, we will always be protected and cared for. However dark the deepest valleys of this life, He has promised to be right there at our side. However powerful and numerous the enemy hosts may be, we have the Shepherd King guarding and maintaining His flock and not one sheep will be lost. Wherever we go the two faithful sheepdogs will help us to pursue our course and nudge us off the wrong paths. The extent of the nurture available is extraordinary and this will go on forever! For we belong in the house of the Lord, we are foreigners and strangers outside of it, this is our dwelling, it is where we belong. Our hope and our security are i

Psalm 23:6        Goodness and Love      The Psalmists loved to pair words to describe the Lord. It was as if one adjective or adverb was not enough! In Psalm 25:21 we have integrity and uprightness. In Psalm 43:3 we have light and faithful care. In Psalm 89:14 we read about righteousness and justice as well as love and faithfulness. Here, in Psalm 23, David muses on the goodness and loving kindness of the Shepherd King. Here is a man who spent a large amount of his life being pursued by enemies, he was often in hiding, often fearful and rarely did he know what might happen next. His enemies wanted to kill him, to overthrow his throne, to extinguish his influence. He was a man of God and they were in the pay of the devil so of course he was constantly under threat. What a relief it is for this hunted and hounded man to step back and gaze into the face of His Shepherd. The moment is dramatic for he realises that despite all of his enemies’ taunts, there is only one thing that matte