Daily Meditations

Psalm 112:3 Worldy wealth v heavenly wealth This verse could easily be used by the “prosperity preachers” as a mantra for their doctrines. “Obey the Lord, have faith in Him and you will grow rich and wealthy.” To some extent that was true for the Israelites, on more than one occasion in the Torah, the Lord God promises wealth and prosperity as a reward for obedience. Even the weather would correspond with their attitude to God’s laws, if they were obedient their crops would flourish and provide them with plenty; disobedience brought disease, plagues and subjugation to their enemies. See Leviticus 26. The Jewish religion was earth-bound and dependant on sacrifices, good works and obedience, the consequences, or lack of them, of doing the right thing were far-reaching. Thus, righteousness was the road to abundance and to the Lord’s provision. Does this still apply to us? The first thing we can say is that Yeshua had no time for this world and its pleasures, He had no need of earthly weal

Psalm 112:2 How to attain blessing for our children Let’s reiterate the message from yesterday’s verse, that those who fear the Lord, who honour and respect Him, are truly blessed or content. Those who love God’s laws and commands, who find stability and strength in living out God’s will and obeying His moral guidance, these people too are truly blessed. Inner happiness and contentment are the longings of every human heart, the trouble is that the devil offers us the world, with the suggestion that this will produce that state of contentment that we are seeking. God says something very different, “Seek me. Seek my glory. Humble yourselves before me and obey my laws and you will be happy.” It all sounds too abstract and futile for most, what’s the point in aligning yourself with someone or something you can’t see, who makes promises that may not be kept, when the world offers everything you could possibly desire and it’s an instant fix or, at least, can be gained with a just a little bi

Psalm 112:1 Blessed are those who fear the Lord As we noted, in the introduction to Psalm 111, that Psalm used familiar language to exalt the character and name of our God. Conversely, Psalm 112 expresses the effects of God’s goodness and love for His people, it is a summary of all His blessings to us. So, the first of these Psalms point us heavenwards and the next one relates the blessings that flow earthwards for those who trust and obey their God. Those who obey God’s commands and who cherish His words, who love Him and exalt Him, they are the truly blessed ones, as we shall see.    V1        Psalm 150 uses the expression “praise the Lord” 13 times in just 6 verses! The Hebrew word is, of course, “Hallelujah.” It’s an expression of wonder, awe, amazement, joy and appreciation that should feature regularly in our conversations and our prayers. The Lord is to be praised, at all times, in every situation, for everything, that comes from His hand. If only Christians said “Hallelujah” as

Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord Job it was who first penned these words,  “The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.”  Job 28:28. Solomon picks up the theme in Proverbs 1:7 and 9:10,  “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”  As we have seen previously, “fear” here does not mean to be frightened, it means to be in awe of. When we understand that our God is the Judge, the LORD over all creation, the LORD over all armies, the jealous One to be exalted over all else—that is just the   beginning   of wisdom. Simply put: Fear of the LORD is having reverence for who God is—and He is Holy. So, we can have our GCSEs, A levels, career qualifications and university degrees; we can be well read, intelligent, educated and the one who everyone wants in their pub quiz team, but if we do not have godly fear, we have little or no wisdom! Paul writes that people who claim to be wise but who do not glorify God or

Psalm 111:9 Holy and awesome is His name There is one outstanding feature of God’s interaction with this planet that has never changed over the centuries of human occupation. It is that He chooses a people who will belong to Him, and He redeems them. He chose Noah and his family and redeemed them from the devastating flood by placing them in the Ark. He chose Abram when he lived in Ur of the Chaldeans, and God led him on a journey that ended with His covenant promises being established in the land of Canaan. He chose Jacob and Joseph and Moses, and eventually, the Hebrew slaves in Egypt, who were redeemed by their passing through the Red Sea in a miraculous procession.  God’s redemptive actions were proclaimed to the whole world when He sacrificed His Son on the cross and He offered a way of salvation to men and women from every tongue, tribe and nation. His greatest act of redemption was to save us from sin, the world and from the Satan. God always provides redemption for His people! 

Psalm 111:8 Established forever We live in a tangled world ruled by deceit and lies. The darkness is all around us and presses in, whispering ambiguities and uncertainty. At this time in human history, the devil is having a field day, for the whole world is now enjoined in his destructive schemes. Jesus looked the Jews in the eye and said to them, “ You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is NO truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!”  John 8:44. Later Jesus described the devil as  “a thief who comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”  John 10:10. Our media, in its many forms is full of the enemy’s lies, we are swamped by his insinuations, be it the adverts we watch, the politics we follow, the literature we read, the news stories we are fed, the lifesty

Psalm 111:7 Faithful and just We have commented before on the characteristics of the Lord that are described in couplets such as, “righteousness and justice” and “love and faithfulness.” Here is another one, in describing the works of God’s hands the psalmist uses the expression, “faithful and just.” These are more than just handy adjectives to bulk out a line of a song, these are actual words of truth that are deliberately used to explain the creative works of our God.  When we look at creation, faithfulness is stamped all over it. As we saw in verse 4, throughout the lifespan of this earth, God will continue to provide seasons, there will be a time to sow and a time to harvest, the monthly changes in seasonal temperatures will continue, and the planet has been programmed, along with the sun and the moon, to provide us all with day and night on a 24-hour basis. This amazing verse of an anonymous song, penned by an anonymous writer is actually embracing the whole of the daily and annua

Psalm 111:6 Whose side  should we take? The whole of the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Scriptures, hinges on the Covenant promises that God made, firstly to Abraham, then to Jacob and Moses, and to the Israelites as a nation. His promise to Abraham was, “ I am the Lord, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to take possession of it.” Genesis 15:7. The land in question was, of course, Canaan. Later, the Lord spoke through Moses and told him,  “I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites – a land flowing with milk and honey.”  Exodus 3:17.  The granting of land by the Lord God as a special privilege to a chosen people is difficult for many to grasp today. It is this age-old link between the Sovereign Lord and a distinct race or nation that continues to divide opinion, particularly when those people tend to disregard Him! But His commands and His covenant promis

Psalm 111:5 He provides food “Give us this day our daily bread”  we pray. Matthew 6:11. For many of us, me included, these can be just empty words. We don’t have to pray for our daily bread, it’s waiting for us on the kitchen top, at the Bakers, or in the Supermarket! The daily necessities of life, in rich countries around the world, are in ready supply. Indeed, it’s a job to dine out nowadays because the restaurants and cafes are full up, you need to book in advance.  Life is very different in many Third World countries, this is part of a message I received just 2 days ago from a brother in Kenya;- “ Houses are submerged, destroyed and or vacated and Lives lost is the order of Life out here. We visited three places where Floods and Landslides affected and saw for ourselves the overwhelming needs. We visited Chisoyuon, Kapkaten and Kapsambu around Mt. Elgon, Bungoma County and gave the little we had; Mattresses, Blankets, Household utensils, Sugar. The roads are impassable, People are

Psalm 111:4 Remember His wonders This Psalm embraces all of God’s works and deeds, we have mused upon His creative activities, but they are not the only expressions of His power and character. God’s saving acts are also worthy of notice, and then of praise. The Bible was written to describe them and explain them, so that we might never forget. The miraculous salvation of Noah and his family through the flood, the provision of a son for Abraham and Sarah in their old age, the elevation of Joseph in Egypt, the life of Moses, the deliverance of the Hebrew slaves from their Egyptian taskmasters and their journey through the Red Sea and across the deserts to their homeland; all of this, and much more, shows us that our God is Sovereign and that He is in control of events. Sometimes, His intervention is miraculous, on other occasions it is simply a word of instruction. On some occasions the Lord provides guidance and the basic necessities of life, on other occasions He helps His people to tr

Psalm 111:3 Glorious and majestic are His deeds We have learned that there are those who are the upright, who seek out and find pleasure in the works of the Lord. There are two kinds of ways of taking pleasure in the creative works of the Lord God. We can worship and extol the glory of the works themselves. We can view them as completely detached from any kind of Creator - Being, they just happened, but never-the-less they are beautiful and wonderful and worthy of our notice.  The alternative is to look through and beyond the created things and be astonished and in awe of the One who designed and brought them into existence. In so doing we give every creative act a personality and a purpose, we see a brilliant, inventive mind at work and the objects of His handiwork become objects of infinite grace and kindness. They express character and a persona, and they lift us out of the mundane into the realms of wonder and amazement. They prompt exclamations of joy and a deep sense of gratitude

Psalm 111:2 Great are the works of the Lord It’s extraordinary how many people travel around this world with their eyes closed and their ears blocked. We live in beautiful countryside in North Essex, surrounded by trees, fields, hedgerows and wonderful skies. The lanes around us play host to numerous joggers and walkers, and it never ceases to puzzle me that many wear headphones that block out all external noise and fill their ears with other sounds. All around them birds are singing, the wind is sighing (or roaring) in the treetops, even the sound of silence is beautiful and therapeutic, but few notice it. The hearts of those who believe in the Lord are gladdened by His creation and His works provoke songs and exclamations of joy; as the Psalm says, let’s delight in His creative power and not block out the sounds He prepared for us. Let’s not walk around with blind eyes either, for all things were made for us to enjoy. The Psalm defines those who delight in the Lord’s works, these are

Psalm 111:1 Praise the Lord! Before we start to unpick this Psalm, it will pay to read it through and then read Psalm 112 as well. Psalm 111 is a beautiful expression of praise and worship to the Lord. Each phrase seems familiar and there is little here that we have not considered before but, the writer clearly felt the need to gather the many expressions of praise and fit them together in one place. There would no longer be a need to go searching for words to extol God’s unfailing righteousness and provision for His people, it’s all here. Conversely, Psalm 112 expresses the effects of God’s goodness and love for His people, it is a summary of all His blessings to us. So, the first of these Psalms point us heavenwards and the next one relates the blessings that flow earthwards for those who trust and obey their God. Both scenarios give us plenty to praise Him for. Hallelujah!   V1        The Hebrew word for Praise the Lord is, of course, “Hallelujah or Hallelu – Yah!”. It’s a wonderful

Psalm 110:7 He will drink from a brook along the way This is the last verse of a Psalm that has occupied us so briefly. Just 7 verses, but each one a potent, prophetic pointer to David’s superior, heavenly successor. It also enlightens for us, the character of our coming Messiah and the nature of His reign. This last verse has puzzled many and it has a kind of poetic quality but seems to suggest that Messiah will one day need to stop and have a drink before He can continue His journey of conquest! Much of what has been written here in Psalm 110 embraces the future reign of Yeshua and, as Peter noted as he preached on the day of Pentecost,  “God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.”  Peter then quotes from Psalm 110 and assures his audience that this Psalm does not refer to David but to Messiah. See Acts 2:32-36. It seems to b

Psalm 110:6 He will judge the nations This is a sobering verse and should send a chill through all who read it. God is loving, merciful, gracious and forbearing. History has proved this. However, there have been occasions when His patience has run out and He has been unable to find faithful and believing humans upon the earth. This was true at the time of Noah and despite giving the people of his day, years to repent, none of them did. Eventually, the flood came. It was this understanding of God’s righteous anger that caused Abraham to plead for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was the reason why Moses pleaded for the Israelites when God threatened to destroy them and start again! It may even be the reason why Yeshua cried from the cross,  “Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”  Without that plea, would God have condemned the world?  The Bible points clearly to a day when all believers in Yeshua will be taken from the earth. Commentators talk about the years

Psalm 110:5 The right hand of the Lord Some commentators have trouble in trying to decide who is being addressed in this verse! However, if we keep the context the same as before, it seems to be quite clear that the words are addressed to Messiah, when He comes. Therefore, this is the Lord God (YAHWEH) speaking of His Son,  “I am at Your right hand, and I will crush kings on the day of my wrath.”  If we remember, the last verse of Psalm 109 has the Lord God standing at the right hand of the needy. In verse 1 of this Psalm David’s Lord, the Messiah, is seated at God’s right hand. Now, God (Adonai) is standing at the right hand of His Son, promising to assist Him in His warfare. The interplay between Father and Son is fascinating and compelling, we are being allowed to understand something of the relationship that exists in the heavenly realms, but also being granted the privilege of having their support and protection as those who acknowledge them as the Godhead. The  “day of God’s wrat

Psalm 110:4 You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. The next verses of this Psalm are preceded by an oath, sworn by the Lord God. Let’s be clear here, when God speaks it’s enough, He will never go back on His word and all that He says will come to pass. When God speaks with an oath, it’s time to humble ourselves, listen carefully and never, never question or argue with His words. He will not renege on His promises and, as this verse tells us, He will not change His mind! In Psalm 89:34-36 the Lord says,  “I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered. Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness – and I will not lie to David – that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun.”  That oath looked unlikely to ever be fulfilled until two completely anonymous descendants of David produced a Son whose name was Yeshua. Joseph and Mary were David’s descendants and at the appointed time Messiah was born.  The primary role of Yeshua

Psalm 110:3 Service and sacrifice Here’s another verse that is telling us more than what at first appears. It starts with the phrase,  “Your troops will be willing.”  In Hebrew this literally means that the troops will be free will offerings to the Lord. In other words, these men are those who will lay down their lives for the Lord; they will be prepared to sacrifice themselves for Him. Free will offerings were spontaneous gifts; they were voluntarily made rather than being part of the legal rules and regulations of daily worship. Most believers today would be relieved to agree that following Jesus Christ does not involve joining an army and give up your life. Or does it? Paul is actually speaking about this when he writes in Romans 12:1. “ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship .” In other words, Yeshua is still looking for troops who will be availa

Psalm 110:2 He will rule from Zion This verse has much to offer in a troubled world where many are asking, “Where will it all end?” For the majority of human beings on this planet there is no discernible end, except doom and destruction, most realise today that the world is out of control and we humans are not about to change things for the better. It’s exactly the scenario that the Satan has been anticipating for decades, it will be his time, he will wrest control of the earth from the Lord God or else watch it self-destruct.  Enter today’s verse, which paints a very different picture. Here we are told that YAHWEH (the Lord) will extend the reign and power of Messiah (the newly crowned King) in ever-widening circles until no enemy remains who will defy His rule. The centre of operations will be Zion, which most people take to be Jerusalem, although the word also means “holy place” or “kingdom of heaven.” It also symbolises Israel. Zion was David’s holy city but it is also God’s holy c

Psalm 110:1 The Lord says to my lord. Hopefully, as we read this Psalm through for the first time, we will immediately note that there are a number of familiar words and phrases in it, for the words written here are quoted on a number of occasions by Jesus, Peter and also in the Book of Hebrews. It does not need the deductive skills of a Sherlock Homes to realise that these words are prophetic, and they describe the coming of Yeshua HaMashiach – Jesus the Messiah.  David is the prophet who wrote the Psalm and as he did so he was able to look into the future and savour the moment when his successor would extend His reign over all the earth. Many believe that the song was penned in preparation for the coronation of David’s son, Solomon, although it’s obvious that the Spirit of God had a greater Son in mind and the prophets had not yet been born who would predict these events in greater detail.    V1        This verse alone is worthy of many pages of commentary! And it is best interpreted

Psalm 109:31 God stands at the right hand of the needy In Psalm 108:6 we commented on the significance of the right hand. “Throughout Scripture the right hand is used as a picture of strength and ability." Time and again we find references in the Old Testament to the right hand of God. This is meant to be a picture of the pinnacle of strength and ability. In passages that specify God’s right hand, strength is a key focus. In the New Testament, we find additional expressions of this phrase in reference to Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 1:20-21  notes,  "…that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come."   Notice that today’s verse, the last verse of Psalm 109, changes the scenario, here we have God standing at the right hand of the needy! In other words, we have strength a

Psalm 109:30 I will praise HIM I attended a formal Service in a local Anglican Church recently, it was a civic event and thus attended by dignitaries, councillors and members of the public. A good crowd of folk were present, but the singing was awful, and most people had their heads hung down as they read and muttered the words. I concluded that few knew the hymns we sang and even fewer believed in what was being sung! Forgive my judgementalism.  The previous day, Ipswich Town were promoted to the football Premiership and the outpouring of joy and the celebrations across the town and in many pubs, clubs and homes was electric. The TV coverage showed people dancing and waving banners and shouting and lifting their hands and arms in excitement and adoration of their team. Two days later the crowds turned out in their thousands to worship the players and staff as they paraded through the town in an open-top bus! Where do we prefer to worship? In a church gathering or at a sports event? Wh

Psalm 109:29 What are we wearing? The imagery found in this verse is often used in the Scriptures. It is not literal of course, how can someone be clothed with disgrace or wrapped in shame! Yet, the kind of characteristics and attitudes that we display reveal a lot more about us than the fabrics that we bought off the peg in a high street store. So, let’s explore some other verses that explain the negative and positive effects of our moral and spiritual clothing. In fact, we can start here in this Psalm because, in verses 18-19 David’s enemy  “wore cursing as a garment,”  ….. it was  “like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him .” In Psalm 35:26 David prays that all who gloat over his distress and exalt themselves over him “ be clothed with shame and disgrace .” However, the Wedding Song found in Psalm 45 contains a positive plea that the King might clothe himself with splendour and majesty. This kind of language is often used of the Lord God,  “Lord my God, You

Psalm 109:28 Curse them or bless them This verse is what we might call “interactive.” It’s worth pondering because in a few short words we see the way that prayer involves all sides. The accusers are cursing. The Lord is blessing. David is pleading for justice and vengeance and hoping that he might have good reason to be able to rejoice.  We’ve already spent some time thinking about effect of curses and how words with negative content (and intent) can have the desired effect on others. If that is so, how much more will blessings from the Lord have positive consequences in those whom He blesses? That’s it really, isn’t it? In all our relationships, be it with people who are close to us or those we barely know, curses or blessing will define our future affiliations. It starts in our heads and comes out of our mouths. Curses and blessings are the staple ingredients in families, in marriage, in the workplace, in casual friendships, in our relationships with everyone. And we can choose whet

Psalm 109:27 Let them know, you, Lord, have done it! Many of us have witnessed the powerful hand of God at work in our own lives and the lives of others. For most of us, these have been pivotal moments in our experience, we have seen the miraculous intervention of the Lord first hand, we have seen situations change dramatically, we have witnessed the power of fervent pray and also the on-going, dedicated devotion that finally brings a response from heaven. I could write a book about such events, could you? God has been so good, God is so good, He intervenes when we most need Him, He puts an arm around our shoulder and lets us know that He is there and that we are not alone or unaided in our journey. So, let’s celebrate these moments and never stop referring to them. Firstly, because we need to keep remembering them for our own encouragement and growth. Secondly, because our friends, family and church brothers and sisters need to be constantly reminded too. Faith is a body builder, the

Psalm 109:26 Help me, Lord my God I wonder how many people have cried these words from their hearts? “ Help me,” Lord my God; save me according to Your unfailing love .” I would venture to suggest that every true believer in the Lord has pleaded for heaven’s help at least once, most of us have cried to our God on countless occasions. And so we should! For this is not only a cry of desperation but also an admission of dependence. When all is said and done, when every possibility has been tried, when our minds and bodies are weakened and we do not know where to turn to next, these are the words that our lips should frame. This is not the polite liturgy that we hear in many churches, nor is it the diplomatic vocabulary of the average Prayer Meeting; this is a cry from the heart and a recognition of failure and hopelessness. It is the kind of cry that goes like a 999 call to heaven’s switchboard and prompts an emergency response. So, don’t be afraid to admit defeat and don’t be afraid to c

Psalm 109:23-25 Fading like an evening shadow The description here of David’s physical condition is pitiful. He has already explained his wounded heart and now add to that a life-sapping affliction that makes him feel like the final shadows before sunset. In Psalm 102:11 an anonymous writer describes a similar condition,  “My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. ” In fact, the Scriptures often liken the evening shadows to death and the morning sunrise to resurrection and new life. In the morning the wicked hide, in the evening they begin to go about their business. Note these words of the Lord to Job,  “Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place, that it might take the earth by the edges and shake the wicked out of it?”  Job 38:13.  David also sees himself as an irritant locust, something you shake off your body if it lands on you! In addition, he feels his knees weakening as a consequence of his going without food, and here he lets on

Psalm 109:22 I am poor and needy This verse reads like a simple cry of self-pity, a plea for the Lord to show mercy and help the beleaguered sovereign to escape from his suffering. There is a little bit more to it! Firstly, as we have seen in other Psalms, when individuals are described as “ poor and needy”,  (see verse 16) the description does not necessarily apply to their financial plight. When Jesus said  “Blessed are the poor”,  He was not saying that monetary poverty is the road to spiritual blessing, although some interpret it that way! Being poor and needy is descriptive of a spiritual and mental state, it is when we recognise our weaknesses and our inadequacies, it is when we humble ourselves and think properly about our condition. Best of all, it is when we realise that we are completely dependent on the Lord, and we cannot guarantee our own safety, deliverance or our future happiness. David clearly feels that he is helpless before his enemies and that only the Lord God can s

Psalm 109:21 Help me for Your name's sake The anger and vitriol expressed by David against his antagonists has come to an end, he has “vented his spleen” as we say, and now the Psalm changes direction. David looks at himself and the effects of his enemy’s accusations and he begins to plead with the Lord God for help. Perhaps the first point to make here is one we have already considered, that if we are hounded, abused, lied about and cursed by others, the Lord God is ready to hear our complaints, and He will allow us to pour out our anger and our darkest thoughts at His feet. He does not have to be addressed politely all the time, although we should, of course, pay Him the respect that He deserves. God knows our thoughts so what’s the point of trying to hide them from Him? He is willing to hear our cries, to allow us to pour our anger and hurt out before Him. As they say, “a problem shared is a problem halved”, in this case the fractions are stacked far more in our favour! Once he

Psalm 109:19-20 Curses that backfire David has one more swipe at his archenemy and then he embraces all those who have lied about him, accused him and spoken evil about him. The main antagonist, the one who has delighted in pronouncing curses over everyone, this man’s final judgement is that he will wear those curses himself. David asks the Lord to make them stick to him who uttered them in the first place. “ May they be like a cloak, wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him. ”  I have tried to recall some of the people I have known, over many years, who carried curses with them and who delighted in speaking evil of others. I have to say that their journey has not brought them to a resting place of joy and contentment, fulfilment, and recognition of having lived a successful and worthwhile life. Indeed, too many have died miserable and alone and still warped by their negativism and callous views of others. You see, their curses have rebounded, they were eager to give them

Psalm 109:18 Wearing curses This whole business of pronouncing curses is one that most of us would shy away from, in our modern culture curses are the stuff of witches, wizards and sorcerers or they are attributed to the dark incantations of tribal shamans with their trinkets and weird superstitions. No, we are sophisticated and educated 21 st  century intellectuals who pay our money and sit at the feet of psychologists and counsellors who delve deep into our past and tell us that “it’s all in the mind.”  It comes as a shock to some people that curses and blessings are very much part of the Bible narrative, and they are genuine pronouncements that have a significant effect, especially when they are sanctioned by the Lord God! Israel, of course, was subject to the curses and blessings that were given to them from Mount Ebal and Mount Gerazim at the time of Moses. David’s antagonist was a man of curses, wherever he went he pronounced them over others. In fact, the verses before us sugges