Month: June 2025

Psalms 73:1-75:10

Once again the psalmist reminds us of this principle: you may say you love the Lord but your works prove if that is true to God and others. The example of King Joash proves that truth. As long as Jehoiada the priest was alive he followed God. But, as soon as the priest died, so did his “love” for the Lord. It was fake all along! 

Ps 73:11 says They say, “How does God know what we do? Is the Most High aware of what goes on?” This is the picture of King Joash, who rejected God and His principles. If you think God does not see and understand your heart, listen to those words. One has to be blind and foolish to think that God does not see or hear what we do. Our hearts reveal our true self and our actions prove that as well. But, God does not leave us in our quagmire of our foolishness. He keeps coming after us because He knows our true hearts and He desires that we all come to repentance. 

Today, check your words and your actions. What do they say about your heart? Are you true or a fake?

God had blessed Solomon in so many ways. God blessed him with men to build the temple and other buildings. God also gave him riches to pay for all the construction work as well as a friendly neighbor who assisted by sending workmen who were gifted to help. After many years,the project was finished and again God came to Solomon with a promise and a warning. He promised that if he, Solomon as well as his legacy honored God above all other gods, He would bless them and all the nations around would bless them as well. In the middle of his speaking to Solomon is a dire warning! Stay true and I will bless. Walk away and honor other gods and I will bring the other nations to ridicule you and remove you and your riches to another land. 

That principle applies to us as well. If we want God to bless our families and our nation, we must honor and serve God only. If we turn our hearts to other gods, He will bring that same ridicule upon us. History proves the truth of that principle as later Israel was taken captive to Babylon and the temple was destroyed.  Presently we see that principle in our own nation and in our own families. 

There is one redeeming promise here; if we turn to God and pray He will return to us His blessings. 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

For what do you praise the Lord? This set of psalms reminds us that He is the Lord and there is none like Him or ever will be. He has created all for His glory and we are the recipients of His grace and love. This last line in Ps 150 summarizes all that the psalmist has written. He began in Psalm 1 to remind us the blessed are the ones who do not walk, stand or sit in the seat of those who scorn Him and His creation. Now as the psalmist begins to close this book, he reminds us that if we obey the words of Psalm 1 we are part of the company who gives praise to the Lord. 

What a powerful way to begin our week! Take time today to praise the Lord for He is good and He is our God. 

The psalmist in writing reminds the reader that God’s love is not a once time but His love endures forever! Strong’s defines this word as “long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world 1a) ancient time, long time (of past).” What a blessing to know that God’s love is enduring forever! When Satan comes calling to deny this fact, turn to this psalm and rehearse it as your way of encouragement. 

The psalmist uses creation to remind the reader that because of His love, He has created the heavens and the earth as we know it. Paul in writing to the Romans says it is His eternal attributes that teach us about who God is and why men are without excuse. 

God’s love showered His people from destruction in Egypt, He led them through the desert and provided food and water as they traveled to the Promised Land. All because His love endures forever. 

Today take time to meditate on this psalm and give God the praise He deserves for His love endures forever. 

As Solomon led the people to honor God as they worshiped at the new 

 Temple, he also took time to pray and sought God’s guidance for the future. He noted that men are fallible and will fail, but the God they now worshiped had a ready ear. Over and over Solomon talked about the sin of the people and how they should respond.  He then asked God to “listen from heaven to their prayers for help and vindicate them.”  He claimed this promise for the people and for us as well.  If we sin, we can trust that if we are humble and repent God hears and will respond. God loves to hear His people pray! God loves to hear us ask for His forgiveness and to set us back on the path He has declared.  

Today if you are pricked in your heart about some sin, humble yourself and go to God to seek His face and His forgiveness. Solomon was ready to close his time of prayer with these words: “May you be attentive to your servant’s and your people Israel’s requests for help and may you respond to all their prayers to you.” 

Spend time in prayer today for the sin of others as well as yourself. God is listening and He will respond. 

Solomon is king and his lifestyle provides that evidence. He took seven years to build the temple and as glorious as it was, his own home took thirteen years to build. True it seems that Solomon built the temple first and his own home after. It seems that Solomon saw the temple and thought, I can do one better and so he made his own home more grand and more opulent than the temple. What does that tell us about his character? It certainly does not show humility! 

Like many today that offer a pittance to cover the costs of the church yet spend over and above their budgets on lavish vacations and even second homes. Solomon is a picture of today’s rich whose heart is not for God but for themselves. 

What does your lifestyle reveal about your heart? 

In the NT we read that the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of scripture: All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 

As we stop on our journey through the books of the OT, we come across the events in life of Israel under King Solomon. A king of a different nation had this note: “Because the Lord loves His people, He has made you king over them.” But, King Huram did not stop there:  He continued his praise saying:  “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has made heaven and earth, who has given King David a wise son, endowed with discretion and understanding, who will build a house for the Lord and a royal palace for himself. That alone is a marvelous testimony to the life of David as well as an encouragement to Solomon who has the task of planning and executing the Temple for the Lord.  

What task has God given to you through your deceased parent? I cannot remember anything my parents said to me about my life now, however, it was early on in my teen years as my father took me took me to work, he reminded me of what my life was to be later by saying do not do but do. Although the words were harsh about a certain person and an example. That truth kept me from making many mistakes later. I thank God for these memories. How about you?  

As we read these chapters in Proverbs, we must first stop and realize these are wise sayings from the Lord but He has also given men the right to make choices. Some make wise choices and others do not. The NET notes gives us an explanation to recall and apply here:

“A proverb is a literary device whereby a general truth is brought to bear on a specific situation. Many of the proverbs are not absolute guarantees for they express truths that are necessarily conditioned by prevailing circumstances.” 

That means there is a general truth but they are not absolutes as this the NET Bible author notes. We feel the pain of those parents that face unruly children no matter how much disciplinary actions are given. It is with great sadness when a parent faces these decisions but we must remember that each person since time began is given the right to make choices. Some will choose wisely and others choose foolishly. That is the purpose of this verse: to show us the blessings and consequences for the choices we make.

If you are a parent of a child/children that continually bring shame to you,remember that choices are given so that men may realize that each choice is a blessing or a consequence. Keep your eyes on the Lord in times that are challenging and keep praying for these children. God honors the prayers of the righteous and if you are in that category, God hears and He will respond. 

As we wander through the OT, we come to stories of victory of the Israelites as they conquered foes and finally came to the Promised Land that God had set aside for them. This psalm reflects that event: “vs 4: He picked out for us a special land to be a source of pride for Jacob, whom he loves. (Selah)” Over and over God promised His children, whom He had chosen, a land of milk and honey. God had set aside this land but it did not come with instant victory but  a land that they conquered through His hand. He always called it the land of milk and honey and the spies saw that and experienced it…but…only Joshua and Caleb were blessed to live there. It was their faithfulness and belief in a mighty God that they were given this promise in their lifetimes. 

God has promised you and I many blessings that He has specifically picked out for us and the reason is given: because He loves us! He loved us so much that He sent His Son for us. What blessing can you recall as His gift to you just because He loves you?  

As a wise observer of life, Solomon noted this truth: “The Lord has worked everything for his own ends—even the wicked for the day of disaster.“ One of the arguments of those who deny God use this verse to claim why God is not trustworthy. Yet even though this is a hard saying and many misconstrue its true meaning, the biblical scholar of long ago said this about this verse: “. “He does not make the wicked or ungodly man; but when man has made himself such, even then God bears with him. But if he repent not, when the measure of his iniquity is filled up, he shall fall under the wrath of God his Maker.” (Clarke)

God is righteous and just. He does not “make” anyone be or do what is unrighteousness. Men make choices and this one of those that will have to face the result of their choice which is hell when they meet God face to face. Notice that God does not make men do this but if they choose, He will work to bring about their chosen destiny.  Notice what Clarke said: if men choose not to repent then they shall face what God has prescribed for those who are wicked. So, the question then is this; why does God choose to do this? It is because He is just and He cannot abide in or have anything to do with sin. 

Beware of putting words in the mouth of God about destinies. God is the author of both life and death. Moses wrote in Deuteronomy to choose life! What have you chosen this day concerning your destiny?