Daily Meditations

Psalm 66:7 His eyes watch the nations These are frightening times for many people. The world is suffering from a pandemic such as we never seen before. Millions have died and at the time of writing, 2 years after it all began, there is still no respite. Mr Putin and his Russian army think that they can move in and destroy a neighbouring country with few repercussions. Meanwhile most of the world’s economies are in horrific debt. Money has been borrowed with no material assets to underwrite the loans, and in some countries the interest rates are negative because governments cannot afford to maintain their repayments. The system is about to break and “economic growth” that was meant to continue forever will come to an end. Millions will be plunged into poverty and famine.  Meanwhile, we keep producing nuclear warheads, biological and chemical weapons and sophisticated weaponry that could destroy our planet many times over. Add to this scenario, the Climate Change agenda and the world is

Psalm 66:6 “He turned the sea into dry land.”  Genesis 1:6-10 tells us how, on Day 2 of Creation, God put in place a vault between the waters that covered the earth, and those that would fill the heavens. Then on Day 3, He separated the waters on the earth and made dry land appear. In Genesis 2:10-14, He separated the river that watered the Garden of Eden into 4 headwaters that flowed out to all corners of the Middle East. (Normally tributaries flow into the main river, these tributaries flowed out of it!) Centurys later, He would separate the water of the Red Sea so that the Hebrew slaves could escape from Egypt on foot. 40 years after that miraculous event, the River Jordan, in flood, was parted so that the Israelites could enter the Promised Land. What power, that just by a word of command the waters are parted and the mighty strength and volume of the inanimate oceans and seas have to respond to the word of His command. This same God stood up in a small fishing boat, during a tumul

Psalm 66:5 Come  and see “Come and see what God has done, His awesome deeds for mankind!”  Oh, what an invitation. “ Come and see. Come and see. Come and see what God has done !” If only people would respond to this cry, what a show He has put on! From creation to redemption to national preservation to personal intervention, He has been working flat out for thousands of years for the benefit of all of mankind. Yet the majority, either through unbelief or disobedience want nothing to do with Him. How crazy is that? This verses reminds us that our job is to keep saying to them,  “Come and see. Come and see.” I read, yesterday, this powerful verse in Isaiah 45:21. “ Declare what is to be, present it – let them take counsel together.”  So, we are not only commanded to tell the world what He has done but also what He will do! We are not asked to convince people intellectually or to Bible-bash or to compel them, just to tell them. Jesus meant this when He gave part of what is called the Grea

Psalm 66:4 All the earth bows down to You In these days of mass unbelief and rejection of the Lord God it would be easy to dismiss this verse as being “pie in the sky.” It certainly doesn’t seem as if  “All the earth is bowing down to Him, singing His praise, the praises of His name!”   However, the statistics argue rather differently, the latest figures show that there are 2.382 billion people in the world who call themselves Christian, which represents 31.11% of the population! Ok, so some of these people are nominal in their faith and maybe they are listed because they live in a “Christian” country, but the numbers are still some way ahead of the 2 million plus Israelites who were the only ones who acknowledged Jehovah when the Psalm was written! What is more, the Bible teaches that there will be a day when  “Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!”  Isaiah 45:22-25. Romans 14:11. Philippians 2:10. The passage in Isaiah is particularly powerful, the L

Psalm 66:3 Your enemies cringe before You I hope we take this Psalm to heart. All of us have been, at some time in our lives, in places of awe-inspiring grandeur, be it beside mountains or oceans, desert landscapes or on a clear, starry night. These moments can draw forth exclamations of wonder and amazement. Ok, so when we look out of the window at home it’s not quite the same, or when we walk down the street to the shops or drive to the supermarket. Or is it? Wherever we are, we are surrounded by God’s creation and there are things that can inspire our wonder and our praise.  We are also encouraged, here in this verse, to praise God for His awesome deeds, which of course include creation but also His intervention in our personal history. The wonder of the Cross, the miracles of the Bible are in there, but so are the many occasions when the Lord God has touched our lives, answered our prayers and changed situations in breath-taking ways.  None of this is good news for our enemies who

Psalm 66:2 Make His praise glorious I have been so blessed, over the past 2 years, to sing the songs of the “messianic” Jews who have been called and saved by Christ. There is quite a movement out there including the community at Kehilat HaCarmel (Mount Carmel in Israel) who broadcast their services live a couple of times a week, and who sing only in praise of the Lord. We visited these dear people in 2019 and joined them for an hour of praise as the name of Yeshua was lifted high.  Karen Davis, Joshua Aaron, Paul Wilbur, Barry and Batya Segal, Sarah Liberman and many others are singing their hearts out for Israel and to their God in these days, and their songs are, almost without exception, simply written to encourage others to  “Sing the glory of His name and to make His praise glorious.” Many of our western hymns and songs are focussed on me and what God has done for me rather than on Him and what I can do for Him! This verse is timely, it reminds us of the purpose of praise and the

Psalm 66:1 Shout for joy! We don’t know what events prompted this Psalm, any more than we know the identity of its writer. What we can say is that the one who penned these exclamations of praise was overjoyed for being personally delivered by God and he extends an invitation to Israel, and also to all the peoples of the earth, to join in the festivities. We are invited to come to the Temple and to become part of the exuberant celebrations, for God has preserved the lives of His people and He has listened to their prayers. Let’s take up the invitation and join those who will tell of all that the Lord has done – shall we?     v1        There are those who lead from the front and those who hang back! The leaders invite us to join them on the dance floor, to cheer when they cheer, to go where they go, to follow their example. Some of us are eager to join in, some do so reluctantly, and others just watch on. The opening verse of this Psalm calls on all the earth to  “Shout for joy to God!”

Psalm 65:13 Shout for joy and sing This beautiful Psalm has taken us to many places and the last locations on our tour are the lush valleys with their grassy meadows and fields of corn. Water flows down from the heights and generously irrigates the fields where animals contentedly graze, while their shepherds keep watch. This pastoral idyll is punctuated by the shouts of and songs of all the creatures who inhabit this place, for it is alive with thankfulness and gratitude to the One who created it all. Skylarks rise into the air with their frenetic songs, bees buzz on animated wings as they search for sweetness, the flocks murmur with contentment, aware that they are safe and well-cared for. The flowers lift their faces to the sun and dance, with the grasses, to the promptings of the breeze. All is well in God’s world, and it is good to be alive. This may all be seen as a rather sentimental view of creation, but it is, in fact, a picture of what goes on around us every hour of every da

Psalm 65:12 Hills clothed with gladness I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, one of the most amazing revolutions in Israel over the past 70 years has been the changing landscape. The wilderness has literally blossomed. In 1867 Mark Twain visited the land and he wrote,  “The further we went the hotter the sun got, and the more rocky and bare, repulsive and dreary the landscape became…There was hardly a tree or a shrub anywhere. Even the olive and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country”.  Today, the land has been cultivated and much of it is highly productive, maybe it looks now as it did in David’s day?  This verse is not the first time that the Bible attributes human emotions to what we might call inanimate objects. Do hillsides resonate with gladness or is this just in the eye of the beholder? Does the sea resound? Do the rivers clap their hands? Are the mountains able to sing together for joy? (Psalm 98).  If, when you view these th

Psalm 65:11 Carts of abundance Yet another expression of agricultural praise! It is also a reflection of the Covenant promises that the Lord made with His people . “The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of His bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.”  Deuteronomy 28:12. As ever, the provision of the Lord God for Israel was measured in tangible ways - seasonal rains, good crops and being free from debt.  There are many Christians today who measure their blessings in similar ways, who believe that a sign of their growing faith is growing prosperity. However, we need to remember that the spiritual life offers a greater reality than worldly wealth, it offers treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not corrupt, and thieves cannot break in and steal. Jesus said,  “I have come that you might have life and have it to the full.”  The experiences of the apostles show us that fame, fo

Psalm 65:10 Blessing the land Middle Eastern fields suffer a great deal from the scorching heat of the summer sun and the ground becomes parched and hard. The autumn and winter rains allow the soil to become soft and prepare it for sowing in spring. The plough is obviously important to break up the hard clods and to open the ground to receive water. In the parable of the Sower, Jesus refers to this process and warns that nothing will grow on hard, down-trodden ground. Our hearts are very much like the farmer’s fields, fertile in places but stony and hard in others. Sometimes trouble comes just to break up the self-reliance or the sinful habits so that the rain of the Holy Spirit can pour in and drench the furrows and level the ridges. There is no question that fruitfulness comes only from fertile land, land that has been broken but that has also drunk in the rain. Isn’t it amazing to think that the Lord God looks upon us as potentially fertile fields? He tenderly cares for the soil and

P salm 65:9 The Water of Life At first sight, this verse is a statement of the obvious, that productive, fertile land needs water and irrigation. God sends the rains from heaven above and fills the streams, and so people grow their crops and reap their grain. There it is - the farmer’s year in just a few words. However, there is so much more to this, David has written this Psalm to show us our dependency on the Lord. The earth has a vast water supply, in fact it was once covered with water until God intervened and did something that man could never do. He separated the waters in the seas and oceans, and produced clouds above and dry land below. Then He created a world-wide sprinkler system that allows all fertile land to be watered from above in its season. God also formed mountains and valleys so that water need not lie stagnant but could flow back to the seas from whence it came. This “living” water is a source of power and it sustains life for all the creatures that God made. It als

Psalm 65:8 The whole earth is filled with awe Isn’t it wonderful that the earth. with its plants and trees, its insects and birds, its marine life and its animals is filled with awe at the wonders of all that God has made? Nothing exists by chance; all creatures have their time and place. All created life responds to the prompting of the Creator who has provided a perfect environment for life to exist and to flourish. Isaiah 55:12 tells us that,  “The trees of the field clap their hands, the mountains skip for joy and burst into song.”  My wife and I were out walking along some local country lanes yesterday and we marvelled at the cloud formations all around us. Great “mountain ranges” of cumulonimbus soared over the land and cotton wool formations lined the horizon on all sides, illuminated by late afternoon October sunshine. It was breath-taking. What was most amazing was the accompaniment of the spring song of a skylark over one of the fields, totally out of time with the season, bu

Psalm 65:7 He still the turmoil Before Creation, the earth is described as being in a chaotic state with darkness and turbulent waters. It was inhospitable and dangerous, there was no order, no prospect of illumination and no possibility of life. The waves of one great ocean surged around the planet and all land was submerged and hidden beneath the oppressive darkness and all-consuming waters. Just as nothing could be seen, there was no sound; there were no tides and no winds, the surface of the sea was eerily still. Then as creation developed, fury and wild energy were prevalent but what lay beneath was silent, empty and lifeless. As such the earth was alone and unique and it was into this desolate scenario that Elohim spoke with absolute authority and power. Firstly, He ordered light, which symbolises life and with that came night and day. Then the waters were silenced and separated between sky above and the oceans beneath and as the waters were parted, so dry land appeared. (As it d

Psalm 65:6 God of power and strength “God our Saviour…..who formed the mountains by Your power, having armed Yourself with strength.”    You will remember that in Genesis 1 the earth is described as,  “Formless and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep.”  Into this chaotic void the voice of the Lord God spoke, and form and substance are born. He spoke into the darkness and light is ignited and drives away the shadows, and then He separated the waters and created dry land. He spoke again and the earth became fruitful and productive, and living creatures were created to enjoy the fruits He provided. The heavens were attired with the starry hosts glittering above and around us, and the sun and moon bringing physical light and order and discipline to the world. Ultimately, God introduced beings made in His likeness and with whom He could share the joys of intimacy and companionship. These “men” were smaller versions of God Himself, and they were equipped to rule all that had

Psalm 65:5 continued  The light of hope Yesterday we thought about the occasions when God intervenes in our lives and we have no explanation other than, these were His awesome and righteous deeds. This Psalm is viewing such events, not from an individual point of view but from the standpoint of the nation of Israel. The awesome deeds of God were His deliverance from Egypt, the construction of a pathway through the Red Sea, the constant guidance and provision of food and water given to the people in the wilderness. The conquest of Canaan, often by miraculous means. All of these miracles could only be attributed to the mighty hand of God and His awesome power. But God was also a righteous God. He had made a Covenant of righteousness with His people at Sinai when He gave them the Law. He had pronounced blessings and curses on the mountains of Ebal and Gerazim and He had shown Himself to be generous and merciful to all who obeyed Him, but He was also a God of justice to those who rebelled.

Psalm 65:5 Awesome and righteous deeds I commented, in verse 2, about the acts of God in people’s lives that are so easily overlooked. As I sit and write these words today, I am able to remember countless occasions in my life where there were “coincidences” or events that happened at the right time, in the right place, to the right people.  I recall a trip to Florida to see a dying relative who had just days to live and was waiting for someone to introduce him to Jesus.  I think of a couple of strangers in a church in Pembrokeshire who sat beside me and the Lord kept saying that my wife and I needed to speak to them. They left before the service ended and I wondered how to fulfil His command! Hours later, at a remote and distant “open garden” event I pulled into a Car Park and there they were – parked next to us!  I think of the healings I have witnessed, the amazing answers to prayer. The guidance and protection I have received, the twists and turns of life that have brought me to exa

Psalm 65:4 Those He chooses This verse alone is worthy of many pages of explanation, there is so much to be learned from it . “Blessed are those you choose.”  This is a controversial statement, and many have argued, over the centuries, about its application. There is no question that Israel are God’s chosen people and they always have been. But God’s choice has been extended to all who believe in and are saved by Yeshua. Ephesians 1:4 says that we were  “Chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.”  Revelation 13:8-9 tells us that Christ was the  “Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world.”  Our names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Rev 13:8-9. So we were chosen before the world was even created! The above verses are saying that, “ Our names were written from the creation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain!”  There is no scribe constantly writing down the names of those who have believed each day. (Gary Smith from Birming

Psalm 65:3 You forgave our transgressions This is a verse that we might expect to find in the New Testament, written by the Apostle Paul perhaps? It is certainly the stuff of many, many testimonies that I have read and heard over the years, when people from all walks of life talk about the moment when they became overwhelmed by their sins and they turned to Christ to save them. In fact, we have all had such moments, when we recognise our failure and our helpless state as dirty, broken individuals who are cut off from the mercy of the God who is holy and just. This is the heart of the Gospel that we preach, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. However, it comes as a surprise to find such a statement in the middle of the Psalms!  “When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave our transgressions.”   There are many who say that they don’t like the God of the Old Testament, He is harsh and angry and destructive. Is that so? This verse suggests otherwise; that God never cha

Psalm 65:2 Sing the glory of His name This verse continues the theme of verse 1 and we begin to discern that there is a prophetic message in the Psalm. Later we will read of a God who is the “ hope of all the earth”  v5, and in v8,  “the whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders.”  So, the subjects of this Psalm are not just the Jews or even the “chosen” who have received Christ but all who live on the earth. All will, one day, acknowledge the One who is God.  I was preaching recently, about the mission statement of Christ from Isaiah 61, that He read in the synagogue at Nazareth on the Sabbath. It includes the statement that He came to bring “ recovery of sight for the blind.” We had seen a few instances where the Lord had intervened in people’s stories in a miraculous way and, without prompting, a number of them spoke out about recent miracles that they had experienced! I felt ashamed as I listened, for I had failed to grasp what the Lord was quietly doing in these individuals’

Psalm 65:1 Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion The opening verse of this Psalm goes further as it anticipates the reaction of the gathered worshippers as they present themselves before their King to fulfil their vows. The vows would be accompanied by sacrifices and offerings and would involve proclamations of praise and gratitude to a faithful God. Isn’t it amazing that it was on the holy hill of Moriah, in Zion, that Christ Himself fulfilled His sacrificial vows by completing the requirements of His Father’s will and becoming a sacrifice for sins? We can try to imagine how He felt as He approached the great City of Jerusalem, knowing that His fate was sealed and that the horrors of crucifixion lay ahead. There was warm acceptance at the house of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. There was the joyful acclamation of the crowds on the journey into the city, as they waved their palm branches and welcomed their Messiah. Less than a week later and the praises have turned to boos and mock

Psalm 65:Intro Shout for joy to God What a wonderful Psalm this is, coming as it does, at the end of a long series of songs that deal with the devious and wicked actions and words of David’s enemies. There will be more of that to come, but we must now stop for a moment and sing out the praises of our God who shows incredible goodness and kindness to His people. Those complaining prayers that we have studied have been heard, they did not fall on empty ears, the Lord hears our cries, and He answers from heaven. In Psalm 65 David expresses praise because the people’s sins are forgiven and so they are able to draw near to the Lord. v1-4. He praises God because there is peace and security in the land of Israel. v5-8. And finally, the Psalm offers praise because the Land of Promise has delivered and has become a land of abundance. v9-13. All this is the Lord’s doing and He is greatly to be praised.   v1        The Psalm opens with a couple of profound statements. Let’s take them one at a tim

Psalm 64:10 Rejoice in the Lord This Psalm began with David voicing his complaints against his enemies. He’d had enough of their conspiracies, their plots and their evil insults. As the Psalm progresses, we see the king turning to God for vengeance and retribution and realising that it is His Lord who will take action against these wicked men. At no point does David pledge to take up a sword or a bow and avenge himself, so far as he is concerned, any retaliatory action is in God’s hands. The Psalm also points to a powerful truth, that those who speak against God’s servants, and who plot and scheme against them, are really going head-to-head with the Lord Himself! Anyone who speaks against you or I, or who mocks our faith are really directing their ignorant insults against the Sovereign of the universe! And David anticipates a time when the mockers will be silenced, and the evildoers will be ruined. I wonder if we dare hope for such outcomes or, maybe, we feel uncomfortable in doing so?

Psalm 64:9 All people will fear We must never forget that our God is a God of justice as well as love and grace. In His conflict with sin and the Satan, He must ensure that ultimate victory is secured and also that all wrongs are righted and that those who are the victims are avenged. We perceive the works of God in creation, we see Him at work in His church, we watch His mighty hand of healing and restoration at work and rejoice that our God is generous, kind and loving. “God is good” we sing, and quite rightly so. But what about this other side of God’s character, that shows itself in vengeance, justice, and defeat for the enemies of righteousness? Do we have cause to ponder, with awe and fear, on the occasions that we realise our Lord is our defender and that He is not to be mocked or thwarted? I have witnessed men being removed from the church of Christ because of rebellion or blatant sin, they have usually descended into a dark place and eventually been taken. It does bring about

Psalm 64:8 He turns their tongues against them It could easily be surmised that these words of David are spoken with scorn, from a vengeful spirit, and he is just letting off steam against those who have spoken so maliciously about him. And that might well be true! He could also be speaking out in anticipation of what God might do to these wicked men. In other words, goading the Lord to act against them all. Or this could be a prophetic word,  “Actually,”  says David,  “I have heard from my God and He is going to turn their tongues against them and bring them to ruin; everyone who sees them will shake their heads in contempt and derision.”  These words prompt me to think of the Lord Jesus; the crowds passing by, on seeing His crucifixion, laughed and mocked and viewed Him with contempt. The soldiers and His accusers, along with the unrepentant thief hurled insults. Yeshua, like David, knew the hurt that such mockery could bring. But like David, you might say that He had the last laugh.

Psalm 64:7 God shoots arrows! Woah, this is a change of direction is it not? The image of a loving, gracious, merciful God shooting arrows at His human enemies is one that will make many Christians shift uneasily in their seats! We have come across this image before, in Psalm 18:14 for instance, and it bears repeating that a bow in Scripture can be viewed two ways. The dome shaped bow i.e. the rainbow, is a sign of God’s pledge not to send another flood to wipe out the earth. The rainbow points away from us. But God’s bow, when inverted, points down towards the world and He shoots His lightning bolts of judgement and wrath. The rainbow is a sign that seals a Covenant, the bow of wrath speaks of a broken Covenant.  We need to be honest here, it’s all very well painting a picture of a loving God who graciously puts up with our arrogant human ways and our constant rebellion against Him, but there are times when He will say, “Enough is enough!” He said it in Noah’s day and all the signs ar

Psalm 64:5-6 We have a cunning plan! It usually starts in the school playground does it not? Plot hatching, scheming, minor rivalries, gang-building, victimisation. The arrogant bully who vies for power and the weaker victims who are unable to defend themselves and live out their school days miserable and persecuted. Don’t tell me that this has all changed because it hasn’t, and it never will. Human nature is such that some people must be dominant, and many will use any means to grab influence. These scenarios simply grow bigger and more dangerous as people progress into adulthood. The most dangerous are those who take power and influence to promote their own self-importance and they do so at the expense of the gullible and weak. You and I know that there are plenty of people out there who encourage one another in evil plans, who plot injustice and think that their cleverly devised traps will never be uncovered. I heard, just yesterday, of a former UK Prime Minister whose greatest stre