Daily Meditations

Psalm 27:4  Dwelling with the Lord      If ever there was a plaintive cry from the heart of a tender man, this is it. Here we have a king who, in worldly terms, has it all. He is surrounded by family, albeit a disjointed lot! He has power and authority and status. He reigns over a prosperous land that has extended its borders under his leadership. Other enemy nations are being subdued, the money is flowing into the national coffers, the Chancellor of the Exchequer is happy. David has a palace and servants and the people love him. Everything that a modern ruler craves is at hand and yet this is not his dream. There is a love and a passion and a longing in David’s heart that looks beyond worldly achievements and material success. One thing he craves and yet this one thing will allude him in this earthly life. David’s gaze and focus is heavenward, it is the company of his Lord and the pleasures of the Lord’s house that far outweigh the things of this world. If only he c...

Psalm 27:3   Our God will guard us      It is easy to read this passage and to ponder David’s precarious hold on the nation of Israel. They had come from nothing; slavery in Egypt followed by 40 years of wandering in the Sinai and Negev deserts. This company of moaners and complainers had eventually entered the Promised Land and learned to be conquerors. Slowly they had driven the pagan nations out of Israel and taken control, however, they remained “surrounded by enemies.” Just as in Israel today, there could be a flashpoint at any moment that could then descend into all-out war. David was no fool, he knew the dangers, which is why he had to trust in God. Unlike Israel today, a people who never seem to learn, the ancient king believed that whatever and whoever conspired against him he could be confident in the Lord. Let us take his confidence to heart, whatever the dangers that surround us and our families and our nation and the church of Jesus Christ we need not fe...

Psalm  27:2    My foes will fall        Let’s be clear here, there are enemy forces intent on the destruction of God’s people. They hate our faith, our dependence, our love of God, our love for one another, our pursuit of truth, our hope, our certainty, our moral integrity. They want to destroy God’s world, they want to tear down His kingdom, they want to tear up the church and everyone who acknowledges that Jesus is Lord. They detest God’s Word and they detest all who speak it out and live by it. There is no length to which they will not go to pursue their goal of destruction. Those enemy forces are powerful, well led and evil to the very core but, even though they seek to devour us, they cannot win. You and I are protected by forces greater than we could ever imagine, if the Lord God puts His stamp on us, we are untouchable. A few arrows get fired off, a few pitfalls and deviations from the path are thrown our way, gossip and tittle tattle ...

Psalm 27:1   Intro      True disciples or followers of Jesus Christ will never have it easy! Despite His abundant blessings, the security of His comforting presence and the burning hope of the Holy Spirit within, we are guaranteed a rough ride. Why is this? It is because there will always be forces around us who are conspiring to bring us down. The Satan has our card marked and he does not play by the rules, he will use any deceit or trick to halt our progress, to diminish our trust and faith in God and to tarnish our reputation. He will try guilt, lies, temptation and accusations, amongst other things, to seek to pull us away from the pathway of faith. That is why this Psalm is an important building block in our journey, a resting place, a reflection on who we are but, more importantly, who the Lord is. Let us read it, learn and live it if we want to have quiet confidence in the God who loves and protects us.    V1       ...

  Psalm 26:12     “My feet stand on level ground!”    There is an extraordinary prophecy of comfort to God’s people in Isaiah 40. Verses 3-5 speak of representatives being sent to clear the way for an important visitor. The obvious analogy is that of John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus. The job entails levelling the rough ground and making the rugged places a plain. But the passage goes further, when the Messiah comes to Jerusalem, the valleys will be lifted up and the mountains and hills will be made low.  Our journey through life is often an uphill struggle, there are many obstacles and difficulties to be overcome. BUT! The Lord Jesus reaches down and lifts us up and there are times when we stand on level ground; no more rocks, no more stumbling, no more sheer drops, no chance of falling, we are, for the moment, in a safe place. David had this sense of well-being as he stood amongst the crowds in the presence of the Lord before the Tent of Meetin...

Psalm 26:11       The road to blamelessness      So let us summarise what we have learned shall we? So far, in this Psalm David has set out the reasons why he believes that the Lord should vindicate him: - 1.       He has led a blameless life 2.       He has trusted in the Lord and not faltered 3.       He has always been mindful of the Lord’s unfailing love 4.       He has lived in reliance on the Lord’s faithfulness 5.       He does not sit with the deceitful 6.       He does not sit with hypocrites 7.       He abhors the assembly of evildoers 8.       He refuses to sit with the wicked 9.       He washes his hands in innocence before going about the altar 10.    He proclaims aloud the praise of the Lord and Hi...

Psalm 26:10   Look at your hands!      The Psalm now calls us to look at the hands of the wicked. Two different hands are in view and we need to consider these carefully for each hand can lead to our downfall. Both hands offer enticements that are commonplace in the world. The NIV text does not convey the full meaning of the first set of hands for it uses the words  “wicked schemes.” The more correct interpretation is lechery, or lust or seduction, and the meaning is clear, we are talking about sexual allurements here. It could be anything from the offer of a sexual experience or liaison, to a magazine or film or web site or simply, lustful thoughts. These enticements are everywhere and David is aware, as he writes, that any one of these things can keep him from the House of God.  The second allurement is financial. The Psalm talks of right hands that are full of bribes and right hands were significant in the culture of the day; they offered power, respect,...