Psalm 102

Life with its many challenges and problems can become overwhelming at times. God’s children are not alone in facing life’s trials, however. We have the Lord God as our help and comfort. Our God reigns, and He is in control of all the circumstances of our lives.

In spite of this sometimes our hearts feel burdened with the circumstances of life. Such was the situation of the psalmist in Psalm 102. It would appear as if the psalmist was suffering from a serious physical illness which may have resulted from the national disaster occurring in his country. (Psalm 102:13-17) It is possible that this national disaster was brought on by the exile of God’s Old Testament people. The psalmist said to God in prayer in Psalm 102:1-5, “Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to You. Do not hide Your face from me when I am in distress. Turn Your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers. My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food. Because of my loud groaning I am reduced to skin and bones.”

The psalmist’s illness was consuming him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We are whole human beings, and our physical health can affect our emotional and spiritual well-being and vise-versa. We as children of God have the privilege of approaching the Lord God of the universe for help, however. Unbelievers do not have that blessed resource in facing life’s difficulties. Let us make prayer our first resource for help in times of difficulty. Praise God for the avenue of prayer!

When we as children of God approach the Lord God with humble and dependent spirits we can be assured that He hears our prayers. The psalmist initially felt desperate in his situation. He felt that God had deserted him. The psalmist said to God in prayer in Psalm 102:9-11, “For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears because of Your great wrath, for You have taken me up and thrown me aside. My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.”

In spite of the psalmist’s overwhelming emotions in the face of dire circumstances, however, he did know that God was his resource for help. The psalmist knew that God would hear and respond to his prayers. He knew that God could heal him from his illness, and He knew his God could restore his nation. The psalmist said about His God in Psalm 102:17, “He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their plea.” The psalmist was ill, his enemies were taunting him, and his nation was in deep trouble. In spite of all this the psalmist knew that he had a resource for help in his God.

It is so easy for us to become discouraged when facing difficult trials. One of Satan’s favorite “schemes” and “flaming arrows” is to seek to discourage us. (Ephesians 6:10-18) Satan wants to make us forget God’s goodness and willingness to help us. Our God can and will help us, however; if we approach Him with humility and dependence with our desperate needs.

The psalmist could approach the Lord God in prayer with confidence in his time of need, because he knew that his God was King eternal. The psalmist knew that his God reigned sovereignly over all things. He said to God in prayer in Psalm 102:12, “But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures through all generations.” Because our God reigns, His mercies to His children will never fail.

The psalmist could also approach God in prayer with confidence in his time of need, because our God’s mercies will never change. Heaven and earth may “perish,” but our God will “remain.” (Psalm 102:26a) Our God will always “remain the same” in His faithfulness and love, and His “years will never end.” (Psalm 102:27) Hence, our lives as His children are secure and “established.” We will live in His presence for time and for eternity. (Psalm 102:28)

Psalm 101

Praise God that our salvation is by grace alone. Praise God that our salvation is not dependent on our own merits and works, for then we would be deserving of eternal punishment. The fact that we are saved by grace, however, does not excuse us from diligently endeavoring to live holy lives for our Lord. A child of God who has been redeemed by the grace of God will show it in his or her life. A change in one’s heart and in one’s actions always follows salvation. This change in fact is evidence of one’s salvation, because “faith without deeds is useless.” (James 2:20b) Our faith is “made complete” by our godly attitudes and actions. (James 2:22)

Even though the Old Testament saint, King David, at times fell into grievous sins, it was the passion of his life to live a holy life for the Lord God. As believers today we also daily sin against our Lord God. It must be our heart’s desire and passion, however, to always strive to live holy lives for our Lord God’s glory. It was also the passion of David’s life to reign righteously as king over God’s Old Testament people and to rid his kingdom and his household of evil. Psalm 101 was written as a reflection of these desires of David. Only Jesus Christ, the descendent of King David, however, was able to perfectly live a righteous and holy life. In addition to this, only Jesus Christ was and is perfectly able to reign over His people with complete love, righteousness, and justice.

In Psalm 101:1-3a David said to God in prayer, “I will sing of your love and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will You come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing.” The rule of our Lord God’s kingdom is characterized by love and justice. Our God is a God who is a God of love, kindness, and mercy. Further He is a God who always keeps His promises. On the other hand, our God is also a God of justice, righteousness, and judgment. God will not allow sin to go on unpunished forever. As a child of God David desired to praise God in song for His God’s perfect love and justice. It was also King David’s desire to rule his personal life and the lives of his people in his kingdom with love and justice by following the model of the kingship of our great God. He wanted to live his life in a holy and blameless manner. David wanted to live the entirety of his life as a faithful and obedient servant of his Lord God. David wanted to display in his life an “obedience that comes from faith.” (Romans 1:5b)

In order to be able to do this David knew that his heart had to be right before God. He needed to guard his heart and his relationship with his God. David knew he needed to also guard against external influences. (Psalm 101:3a) David further knew that He needed the help of his God to be able to live a holy life. (Psalm 101:2a)

As believers today it is important that we also guard our hearts, so that we stay fresh in our love and zeal for the Lord. We must further be on guard against outside influences that pull us into sin and away from a vital relationship with our God. Finally, let us not seek to live holy lives in our own strength, but rather let us always seek to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. His power will never fail us.

Because David also saw the need to rule the people of His kingdom and his home with righteousness, David promised that he would seek to rid his kingdom of unfaithfulness and rebellion against God. David further promised to not tolerate perverse and unholy behavior and attitudes, arrogance and pride, lying and slander, and wicked attitudes and actions of any kind in his kingdom. (Psalm 101:3-8) May we with David of old seek to rid our hearts and lives of all that is unholy. May we also as leaders of families seek to lead our children by our examples in holy ways. Let us further instruct our children in the commands of God, so that they too will desire to lead godly and holy lives for God’s glory.

Psalm 100

Joy is something that should be a part of the character of every child of God. The Lord God commands us to be joyful. At times we wake up in the morning feeling less than joyful. Sometimes our days are filled with countless irritations and interruptions. At other times we face overwhelming trials and circumstances, but our joy should not be dependent on our circumstances. Our joy should be found in the Lord and in our relationship with Him.

Psalm 96:1a and Psalm 98:1a reminds us to “sing to the Lord a new song.” We should have a new and fresh song on our lips and in our hearts each new day. Psalm 100:1a commands us to “shout for joy to the Lord.” We must choose joy each day. No matter how difficult our day we have the Holy Spirit’s power at our disposal to choose joy each day. God understands the sorrow in our hearts because of the problems we face. He is there to comfort us at those times. Even in the very difficult times of life, however, there can be underlying joy. As children of God we possess eternal salvation and a host of other physical and spiritual blessings. Why should there not be a sense of joy and well-being in our hearts as His children?

Our joy must also be accompanied by the worship of our great God. Psalm 100:2 says, “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs.” Our worship of the Lord God on the Lord’s Day should not be formal, empty, and ritualistic. Our worship must be accompanied with joy, gladness, and thankful hearts. Songs of joy should pour forth from our hearts and lips. This attitude of joyful and grateful worship must also stay with us throughout the week. How easy it is to display a joyful attitude throughout the worship services on Sunday morning and then get bogged down in discouragement the rest of the week. Joy, however, should characterize the entirety of our lives of service to our God.

Our joy must not only be accompanied by a grateful and worshipful attitude, but it also must be accompanied by the acknowledgement that the Lord God alone is God. Not only is He the only true God, but He must be our God alone. Nothing and no one must be more important to us in our lives than the Lord God. Psalm 100:3 reminds us, “Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” The same Lord God who created and sustains the entire universe has made us. He has not only created us, but He has chosen us to be His people! Knowing we are His chosen people should cause us to fall down in grateful and joyful worship before our awesome God. (Psalm 95:6-7) Knowing we are His chosen people should carry us through even the most difficult times with a joyful heart. We are children of the heavenly King. What more do we need both in this life and in eternity?

Therefore let us heed God’s command to enter our worship services on Sunday mornings “with thanksgiving” and “with praise.” Let us “give thanks to Him and praise His name.” (Psalm 100:4) Let us also carry this thankful and joyful attitude into our day to day lives. “For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5) Our God is good to us as His children all the time and in all circumstances. His faithfulness and love to us will never fail. God’s love “reaches to the heavens,” and His faithfulness extends “to the skies.” (Psalm 36:5) Wow! “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.” (Psalm 100:1)

Psalm 96-99

As children of God our lives must be characterized by joy and praise, “It is good to praise the Lord.” (Psalm 92:1a) Even during our darkest trials God is good all of the time. “No good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.” (Psalm 84:11) Therefore we should face each new day with a fresh awareness of our Lord God’s goodness and with a song in our hearts and on our lips. Each new day let us joyfully “sing to the Lord a new song” of praise. (Psalm 96:1a and Psalm 98:1a)

We must not only have a song of praise in our hearts and on our lips for our Lord God, but we must also encourage our fellow believers to praise the Lord. Furthermore, we must encourage the whole earth to praise our Lord. We must tell those who do not know our Lord God of His wondrous acts and of His glorious salvation. Psalm 96:2-3 tells us, “Sing to the LORD, praise His name; proclaim His salvation day after day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous deeds among all peoples.” It must be our deep desire that all people of all the nations will “ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name.” (Psalm 96:8a)

The Lord God deserves our praise as His children. The Lord God further deserves the praise of all the nations. (Psalm 96:1 and Psalm 98:4-6) The Lord even deserves the praise of His creation. (Psalm 96:11-13 and Psalm 98:7-9) Our Lord God deserves praise because of His greatness. Mankind often relies on the “idols” of this age. Those idols might be physical idols which people fall down and worship. These idols also may be idols of materialism, self-reliance, and greed. All who depend on anything or anyone else but the Lord Almighty in their lives, however, will be disappointed and “put to shame.” (Psalm 97:7a) The Lord God alone is “worthy of praise.” (Psalm 96:4) He alone is majestic in His splendor, strength, and glorious beauty. (Psalm 96:6) He alone is “the Most High over all the earth.” (Psalm 97:9 and Psalm 99:2) Our Lord God alone is holy. Psalm 96:9 exhorts all the earth to “worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness” and to “tremble before Him.”

The Lord God also deserves our praise and the praise of all the nations, because He alone reigns. (Psalm 97:1 and Psalm 99:1) Even the thunder and lightening and all of God’s creation proclaim the glory and righteousness of the Lord God. God’s wonders in creation proclaim that He is God over creation, over His children’s lives, and even over the lives of the peoples of the nations. The dark thunder clouds covers the brightness of the sun. This is visual word picture to us of the brilliance of God’s glory which is so great that we can not comprehend it. God’s glory is so great that it must be partially veiled from our eyes. (Psalm 97:2-6)

The Lord God further deserves our praise, because He is the source of light and joy in the lives of His people. He alone is the source of well-being, life, and salvation. Our Lord God alone is “the fountain of life.” In His light alone “we see light.” (Psalm 36:9) Our hearts and lips should sing with praise, because “He has done marvelous things.” (Psalm 98:1a) Our Lord God has given us salvation and has revealed His salvation to us. (Psalm 98:2) Our Lord God is a God of faithfulness and of love. (Psalm 98:3) He is an awesome and mighty God who always does what is just and right. (Psalm 99:3-4) Finally, He is “a forgiving God. (Psalm 99:8) We serve an awesome God who is worthy of our praise. He alone is the source of all that is good. Our Lord God alone is the source of joy. Therefore, “rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise His holy name. (Psalm 97:12)

Psalm 95

"Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song." Psalm 95:1-2

Psalm 95 was written as a call to God's Old Testament people. It was a call given by the Levites or priests to worship God. May we apply the exhortations to worship the Lord God to our lives today.

Psalm 95:1-2 exhorts us, "Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song." Is our hearts filled with joy for all the Lord God is in His character? Do we daily sing His praises for His faithfulness in our lives? The Lord is our Rock and our sure foundation. He has saved us from our sins, and He is our refuge and protector. He will be our sure foundation and Rock for time and for eternity. Praise His name! So often we get bogged down with life's difficulties, and we fail to have a thankful heart and a heart which is full of praise for our Lord. Psalm 95 is a call for us to rejoice in the Lord. It is also a call for us to center our thoughts on the Lord and not on the circumstances around us.

We are to praise God for His daily blessings, but most of all we need to praise Him for who He is in His character and greatness. It is the Lord who is the great and sovereign God of the universe. He is the One who owns and controls all of creation, and He is the One who controls and plans every detail of our lives. Hence, let us bow in humility and repentance before this great God of ours. Psalm 95:6-7 says, "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care." This great God who created and maintains the universe has a personal interest in us! He knows each of us by name. He watches over us, as a shepherd watches over his sheep. We are His "people of His pasture" only because of His grace and mercy to us. Hence, let us "bow down in worship" before Him. May we make our lives a sacrifice of praise before Him.

May our hearts remain passionate in our love and devotion to our Lord. May our hearts never become hard or indifferent towards the Lord. Psalm 95:7b-8a warns us, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." God's Old Testament people, the Israelites, often hardened their hearts against the Lord. Hence, the Lord had to repeatedly discipline them. God calls us to forsake our rebellious and sinful ways and to follow Him in loving and obedient thankfulness. May the voices of this world's philosophies not crowd out our ability to "hear His voice." May serving and obeying the Lord be our consuming passion!