Psalm 143:11

Psalm 143:11

For Your name's sake

David here draws parallels between the honour that is given to the Lord’s name and his own personal circumstances! Is this a bargaining tool? The inference is that if all goes well for David then the Lord’s name will be uplifted and exalted, if things go badly then God will be blamed! Perhaps those of us who claim to believe in the Lord and to worship Him should take note; we are constantly under scrutiny and are God’s representatives on earth, whatever happens to us gives people cause to make judgements about Him! That makes us a reflection of His glory, and we should live our lives accordingly.

David now appeals to the righteousness of God, if He is fair and just, and favours those who love and obey Him, then let it be seen in experience so that the watching observers will conclude that the Lord acts fairly and correctly for the righteous because He is righteous. If David is delivered from his troubles and freed from his captors, he will be able to proclaim, “My God did this, He justified my faith in Him and can be seen to be a righteous God who upholds those who live righteously before Him.” 

There are two lessons here for us, let’s live our lives in such a way that God has to vindicate us publicly or it will go against His name. When we are delivered, healed and set free, let’s be sure to make it known that is the Lord who has done this and His name should be glorified. This is one of the great responsibilities of the church, to make His righteousness known and to ensure everyone is aware when the hand of the Lord is seen to be at work. Hallelujah! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more

Psalm 119:87

  Psalm 119:87 Almost but not quite If only we knew the circumstances that form the back story to this Psalm! What happened to the psalm-writer to make him feel so vulnerable? Who exactly were these antagonists and persecutors and how did they “almost wipe our friend from the earth”? We’ve already speculated that he must have been a priest or maybe a member of the royal family for his suffering seems to have wide-ranging and public consequences. It seems that there had been a murderous plot on his life and now the author admits that whilst he nearly died, he still clings tenaciously to the precepts of the Lord his God. Precepts are the laws and commands that come from the lips of overseers, in other words, the writer believes that the Lord is watching over him and that he is safeguarded and protected by the words that come from His guardian.  There is a vital lesson here for us, there will be times when, at the very least, our reputations are under threat; for some who believe...
Read more

Psalm 119:96

Psalm 119:96 Beyond perfection What a curious verse! What does the writer mean when he says,  “To all perfection I see a limit, but Your commands are boundless?”  Perhaps this is better translated, “ Everything I see has its limits, but Your commands have none ”, or “ Even perfection has its limits, but your commands have no limits. ”  It’s a deeply philosophical point isn’t it, that when we consider perfection, we have to admit that it can go no further, it can be improved no more. If something is perfect there is nothing more to add, it cannot be bettered. In that sense, perfection has its boundaries and its limitations. The writer is telling us that God’s commands are limitless, they have no boundaries; the word used here is translated “broad” in some translations. His commands go beyond perfection! It feels like we are standing on a beach somewhere, gazing at the vastness of the ocean before us and pondering its beginning and its end, or gazing at the night sky with i...
Read more