Month: July 2022

Posted on

The Doxology

Praising God, Son and Holy Ghost

Ps 148-150 In reading these last three chapters in Psalms, we recall what we learned as children, known as the Doxology sung after communion or at the beginning of service to set our minds and hearts to a mode of worship. The word doxology is made up of two Greek words: doxa and logos. Doxa means glory, splendor, or grandeur and logos means word or speaking.  It recalls The Lord’s Supper and this verse:  “after supper they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.” [Matt 26:30]

Praise God from whom all blessings flow

(He is the source of our blessings recalling: Psa 133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head, which flows down the beard—Aaron’s beard, and then flows down his garments.”

Praise Him, all creatures here below

 Ps 148 reminds us that we are all created by Him and for Him so that we may bring Him glory.

Praise Him above the Heavenly host

Hebrews 1 is all about the angelic beings praising God and one day in glory we and the angels will be sitting around the throne praising God. Revelation 1 and beyond speaks to that.

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

The Godhead, the Triune God!

Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen

Today take some time out to sing the doxology to set your mind to praising God.

Posted on

God is…

God is...

  Psalm 145 “The Attributes of God”

How often have you had this experience?  You have read a passage of scripture many times, but today something new jumps off the page.  We stop and say, why didn’t I see that before?  So it was with the Psalmist.  He saw God as never before.  He saw Him as his God, His King.  Do we?  The Psalmist made a conscious decision to praise His name continually.  “The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise.  No one can fathom his greatness.” [Ps 145:3] Do we talk about God in this way?

Further, he noted: “The Lord is just in all his actions, and exhibits love in all he does.  “The Lord is near all who cry out to him, all who cry out to him sincerely” [Ps 145:18] Truly, God is just, and his actions prove his love for men.  And that is why we can confidently say that God is as true then as he is now as he will be in the future.

God is both just, and He is love.  Both attributes work in harmony.  Love and justice complement each other.  And that is why we can say: Ps 145:21, “My mouth will praise the Lord.  Let all who live praise his holy name forever!”

Posted on

Do we Pray?

The power of prayer

Psalm 140 The power of prayer

Do you believe in the power of prayer and especially so when you face the plans of the wicked? In Psalm 140, the author describes the wicked: They are violent, plan ways to harm men, and stir up conflict not once but are consumed with it all day long! Their tongues are like the deadly serpent seeking to wound, and their venom is poison. When you face them, it is right to seek God’s protection from those who fall into that category.

Today, our nation is reeling from the onslaught of the “woke,” the liberals, those with evil intent. We see their plans, for they openly and brazenly shout them from the housetops. We see their outcomes, yet do we spend time pleading with God to not to let them succeed as the psalmist did?

The psalmist prayed: God, shelter me, protect me, give me eyes to see the traps these wicked have laid out; pay attention to my plea and be my deliverer, do not let the wicked have their way or let their plans succeed.

Do we pray that same refrain when we see the wicked seemingly succeed?   If we do, we can stand firm and say: I know that the Lord defends and He vindicates.

What wickedness are you facing? How can I pray for you? Make a comment and let me know. (Sonshine)

Posted on

Do you know God?

God is...

Ps 139 “God Knows”

King David reflected that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. He not only has those character qualities, but He is the God, the El Roi, who sees and cares; the Manna or Bread of Life upon which we may feed; the Living Water from which we may quench our spiritual thirst. He is Immanuel, God with us, and He is the Good Shepherd that knows his sheep.

David asked God to search his heart and observe his travels and words because he knew it is God that places His hand upon him. This caused him to praise God for His incomprehensible knowledge!

No matter where we are presently, God is there, and His Hand will guide us moment by moment and day by day. Nothing is hidden from His sight, even to the womb where we are fashioned. For this, we give praise!

God knows the mindset, ways, and thoughts of men. Do you know Him?

Posted on

What kind of God do you have?

God's mercy

Ps 133-136 Deaf-Dumb-Blind OR Hearing-Cognizant-Seeing

The psalmist writes that those who worship idols are deaf-dumb-blind. We see that in spades in the story of Elijah and the Baal “prophets” in 1Kings 18. The Baal worshipers sought to have their sacrifice burned up and spent an entire day calling Baal to perform, but he was silent. When it was Elijah’s turn in the contest, he called upon God and He answered immediately by burning up the sacrifice and licking up the water. Elijah asked the people: “If the Lord is the true God, then follow him, but if Baal is, follow him!” They saw that Baal was an idol made by men’s hands and learned that those who trust in them are just like them: deaf-dumb-blind. Today, many also worship man-made idols. Am I guilty of this?

As Elijah proved, our living God’s mercy endures forever…forever…forever and He responds to the prayers of his people. The psalmist records that phrase over and over in Ps 136: “his mercy endures forever.” How grateful I am that I serve a God who hears-is cognizant-and sees, unlike Baal. Praise His Name.

Posted on

Handling Hate Biblically

love is greater than hate

Ps 129-132,2 Cor. 4:4 Since its inception, Israel has been hated because our enemy, Satan, blinds the minds lest they see the glory of Christ. Believers, too, face this same hatred and its source is the same. So how do we face it? The psalmist reminds us that we remember that the love of Christ is stronger than any hate the world can throw at us. Instead, cry out to the Lord and pray, Lord, listen, Lord, pay attention!

Instead, pray as Jesus did: Lord, forgive them for they know not what they do. [Luke 23:34]

And we too must do as the psalmist: check our heart! Is it proud? Do we have a haughty look thinking we are better just because we are believers? Do we have great aspirations or concern ourselves with things out of our control? Do we seek to go to the Lord in prayer and ask Him to calm our heart and quiet it finding content before Him?

Today, spend time in prayer seeking His face and beholding His beauty as you wait for His timing and plan.

Posted on

Let’s be Praying!

Be at prayer

Ps 124-128 The Power of a Praying Leader

The author of these psalms sees himself as the prayer warrior for his generation, the generation that has just passed, and the generations to come. Both he and Job are examples of their lives as praying men of God.

A: Adoration: Ps 125:1 “those who trust in the Lord are as Mt. Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever.” What a marvelous picture of a family head as he prays over his family, much like Job did.

C: Confession: Job prayed: “perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” [Job 1:5] What a marvelous picture of a praying father!

T: Thankfulness Ps 128, the psalmist reminds us that God blesses those who walk in His ways and fears the Lord; therefore he quietly prays that he and other men might see the fruit of their womb in their latter days.  

S: Supplication: “May you see your children’s children.” [Ps 128:6]

Today, as you go about your work; pray for the fathers who lead, the leaders you encounter in work or shopping, etc. so that we might be a blessed people.  And pray for yourself as you lead in your home or work, at play, and at rest. May we be a praying people.

Posted on

Praise God for He is Worthy

praise God

Ps 117 Praising God! Ps 118: Praising God!

Today marks the halfway point through 2022 and now we are halfway through reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. We have gleaned truth upon truth through the many authors: Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Samuel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, unknown author for Job, and now King David. As we have wandered through these pages of history we come away overwhelmed by the grace of God. Each author has given his/her perspective on life but all agree: we are to praise God for He is good and He is merciful. His name is to be honored because of His lovingkindness and faithfulness. We have gleaned much about the character of God: Ps 115:3 He does whatever He pleases and He is pleased to show His mercy to us. He is our deliverer and protector and therefore He is trustworthy. He is the Creator of heaven and earth and he has given man dominion over the earth.

Take a moment to think about your day and who God is.  Isaiah explains this truth about God:

“Truly I am God, I have no peer, I am God and there is none like me.  Yes, I have decreed, yes, I will bring it to pass; I have formulated a plan, yes, I will carry it out.” [Is 46:9-10]

Therefore, applaud him for His faithfulness, and His mercy endures forever.

Posted on

God is immutable…

God is immutable

Ps 111 His precepts are sure.

John MacArthur writes: Two polar opposite views of God’s will can cause Christians to have faulty understandings of prayer and the accomplishing of God’s purposes. The same can be said for how people view the character of God. On the one hand, some believe the words of the song “que sera sera” or whatever will be will be, and on the other hand, some see that God will hear prayer and as the king of Nineveh said, “Who knows? Perhaps God might be willing to change his mind and relent and turn from his fierce anger so that we might not die.” [Jonah 3:9]

One thing is certain; God is immutable; He is unchanging. However, like the mercury in a thermometer, He “changes” according to the “mercury” of men’s hearts. The author of Hebrews notes: that his purposes are unchangeable, and it is impossible for God to lie. [Heb 6:17-18] His precepts are sure; we can trust that what God says will always be true. Men may change, but God is immutable.

Optimized by Optimole